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Etymology
Pessimism is a philosophical term that applies to thinkers who believe the human experience is fundamentally painful, miserable, or characterized by suffering. Schopenhauer is a pessimist because he believes that human existence is driven by a relentless, striving, willing sensation that is exhausting.
Pessimism Quotes in On the Genealogy of Morals
The On the Genealogy of Morals quotes below are all either spoken by Pessimism or refer to Pessimism. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Quotes
Schopenhauer has described one effect of the beautiful—the calming of the will—but is this effect the usual one?
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Pessimism Term Timeline in On the Genealogy of Morals
The timeline below shows where the term Pessimism appears in On the Genealogy of Morals. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Second Essay: Guilt, Bad Conscience, and Related Matters
...Eden, a sin that mankind can never erase) and hell as eternal punishment. This breeds pessimism and nihilism. At this point, Christianity comes along and says that God (the creditor) pays...
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