Basis of Morality

Persuasive and humane, this classic of philosophy represents one of the nineteenth century`s most significant treatises on ethics. The Basis of Morality offers Schopenhauer`s fullest examination of traditional ethical themes, and it articulates a descriptive form of ethics that contradicts the rationally based prescriptive theories. Starting with his polemic against Kant`s ethics of duty, Schopenhauer anticipates the latter-day critics of moral philosophy. Arguing that compassion forms the basis of morality, he outlines a perspective on ethics in which passion and desire correspond to different moral characters, behaviors, and worldviews. In conclusion, Schopenhauer defines his metaphysics of morals, employing Kant`s transcendental idealism to illustrate both the interconnectiveness of being and the affinity of his ethics to Eastern thought.