Schopenhauer's Theory Of Tragedy Of Modernity

This paper chooses Schopenhauer's tragedy theory as the subject, which has little been touched relative to the other thoughts of Schopenhauer's. From respects on the ontology of tragedy, the values of tragedy, and the aesthetic freedom of tragedy, this paper tries to discuss the modernity of Schopenhauer's tragedy theory. Schopenhauer regards irrational will as the noumenon of tragedy. His tragedy theory raises high the human's subjectivity, pays more attention to the human life and aesthetic freedom, which highlights the features of the modernity.The paper consists of three chapters.Chapter I: the ontology of tragedy.Schopenhauer holds that the world is, on one side, my representation, and on the other, my will. The whole world is the objectification of will. Will enters the phenomenon world via idea, which is the appropriate objectification of will. Tragedy is the summit of art. It is the highest grade of will's objectification. The underlying root of the tragedy is will. Will is the noumenon of tragedy. The establishment of tragedy's noumenon embodies the modern characteristics from three changes: from the objective noumenon to the subjective noumenon; from the world of God to the world of human life; from reason-highest to aesthetics-highest.Chapter II: the values of tragedyWill is irrational and blind impulse. It leads to the inevitable suffering of human life. To rescue mankind from the woeful sea, Schopenhauer points out two methods of salvation. One is art, temporary, and the other is ethic, eternal. Tragedy has both functions. Schopenhauer points out the tragedy's value of rescuing human life, but his will ontology also leads to paradox of cause and effect on his tragedy theory. Meanwhile, Schopenhauer's tragedy concerns on the suffering of human life, and his artistic salvation originates the modern aesthetic ontology, all of these add up to make Schopenhauer's tragedy theory be modernish.Chapter III: the aesthetic freedom of tragedy.Aesthetic freedom must have subjective and objective aspects that can not be divided. Subjective side means the subject must escape from the chain of will and become a pure knowing one. Objective side means taking idea, the appropriate objectification of will, as the objects of knowledge. The effect produced by aesthetic freedom is to enter the free irrational realm which is called "nothingness". The requirement of aesthetic freedom on subjective side, namely the subject sublimates itself into a pure knowing one, is the essential approach that tragedy functions; and it on the objective side, namely free knowing on idea, is the only way to appreciate tragedy. The effect caused by aesthetic freedom, that is, free irrational realm, is the ultimate goal tragedyseeks.