Arthur Schopenhauer devoted his adult life to the articulation of a philosophy for the world, a philosophy that would benefit mankind by providing a solution to the riddle of existence. Often considered a thoroughgoing pessimist, Schopenhauer in fact advocated ways - via artistic, moral and ascetic forms of awareness - to overcome a frustration-filled and fundamentally painful human condition. Though presented in luminous prose, Schopenhauer’s philosophy was ignored for most of his life. Yet fifty years after his death his ideas were celebrated by intellectuals, writers and artists. His name was a byword for philosophical greatness. This new critical biography provides a concise introduction to the life and work of the nineteenth-century German philosopher, situating the principal doctrines of his philosophy in the context of his life.