Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) was a German philosopher best known for his pessimistic philosophy and his masterwork The World as Will and Representation (1818). Born in Danzig to a wealthy merchant family, he was one of the first major Western philosophers to draw on Eastern thought, particularly Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. Schopenhauer argued that the fundamental nature of reality is driven by a blind, ceaseless, irrational force he called the Will—a universal striving without goal or satisfaction. Human life is therefore characterized by endless desire, suffering, and boredom. This pessimism set him apart from the dominant German Idealism of Hegel, whom he mercilessly attacked. Despite this bleak metaphysics, Schopenhauer identified avenues of temporary liberation: aesthetic contemplation (especially music, which he regarded as a direct expression of the Will), ethical compassion for other beings, and ascetic renunciation of desire. His clear prose style and willingness to engage with everyday human experience made him one of the most readable philosophers. His influence extends to Nietzsche, Freud, Wagner, Wittgenstein, Tolstoy, and numerous artists.