El arte de conocerse a sí mismo (El libro de bolsillo - Bibliotecas de autor - Biblioteca Schopenhauer)

The conviction of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) that philosophy should not be a mere elaboration of theories and thought structures, but a guide for making vital decisions and for a certain conception of life, is evident in the texts that he wrote throughout his life for personal use and reflection, such as "The Art of Being Right," "The Art of Being Respected," or "The Art of Insulting." To this end also serves "The Art of Knowing Oneself," an intimate notebook or personal vademecum that the philosopher titled after the ancient and well-known Greek maxim, and in which he jotted down autobiographical observations, memories, reflections, pragmatic indications, rules of behavior, maxims, quotes, and proverbs. Reconstructed by Franco Volpi, in it one can recognize the basic rules of his philosophy of life: autarchy, self-respect, self-esteem, solitude, aristocracy of intelligence, a healthy misanthropy, reserve in dealing with the opposite sex, etc.: a direct and simple access to the most personal ideas of the founder of pessimism.