The Will As Subject--A New Study On Schopenhauerian Subjectivity Of Will

The thought of subjectivity runs through the whole course of the development of western philosophy. It is a key to the comprehension of the history of western philosophy and an important perspective to observe the overall western culture and intellect tradition proceeding from the ancient time up to the present. This thesis presents a review of Schopenhauerism from the subjectivity point of view. By assigning the irrational will as the subject, Schopenhauerism changes the nature of subjectivity, and transfers the rational subjectivity guided by rational factors to the will subjectivity guided by the irrational factors. That makes for the harmonious development of subjectivity under both rational and irrational effect, therefore effectively keeps the subjectivity from swelling as might result from the mounting of the power of reason, thus illuminates a new way for the development of the thought of subjectivity.When the will, which is the blind impulse, has become the subject, it generates the forms of time, space, and the law of cause and effect, etc., at the behest of self-knowledge induced by internal conflict, and with these forms it objectifies itself, intensifies the internal conflict in the manner of individual struggle, so as to fully manifest its essence, and finally achieve the self-knowledge. With complete self-knowledge, will emancipates itself through self-denier, and reaches the state of "nothing". This kind of tri-stage moving process is in accordance with Hegel's tri-stage moving process of the "absolute spirit", which reflects the communication between the two thoughts.However, due to his failure in distinguishing between the world will and human will, and confusion of the two, Schopenhauer arbitrarily imposes properties of human will upon the world will, and then renders the self-content world will into the infinite desire; consequently falls into the abyss of pessimism.