Are love and the will to life at odds? Arthur Schopenhauer's take on human nature and the importance of love—as well as the unimportance of happiness—is the focus of a philosophy video that compares Schopenhauer's worldview to Buddhism.

Concepts

philosophers, buddhism, human nature, human behavior, love, sexual reproduction

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Use in a social studies class when discussing German philosophy or the influence of Buddhism in the western world
• Have class members compare the views of Schopenhauer to his 19th century peers throughout Europe and the United States

Classroom Considerations

• Discusses Schopenhauer's opinion toward sexual desire, which may not be a discussion you want to have with younger learners
• Subtitles are set to Arabic, but can be changed to several different languages

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Schopenhauer's pessimism may appeal to teenagers who currently share the same view
• Animation and pictures keep the video engaging

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2 SL.11-12.2 RH.9-10.2 RH.11-12.2