ABSTRACT

As has long been recognized, Arthur Schopenhauer’s intellectual encounter with the Orient represents a departure from previous Western philosophers’ approaches to it. What has been less appreciated, however, is that this encounter also marks a pivotal moment in the modern critique of systematic philosophies of history. Since Schopenhauer doubted that there was any logic in history, either in the form of a providential plan or a rationally intelligible structure, he impugned both history’s scientific status and its significance for an understanding of the human condition. Rejecting both Christian eschatology and the modern theory of progress, he opted instead for a transhistorical perspective. This denigration of history, which had far-reaching repercussions in the latter half of the nineteenth century, must be understood in light of Schopenhauer’s engagement with non-Western philosophy. Schopenhauer’s devaluation of the significance of historical difference, in stark opposition to the philosophers of history who preceded him, contributed to his receptivity to non-Western thought; and his belief in the affinity between his own transhistorical perspective and the teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism informed his antagonism to contemporary historical narratives and theories.

摘要

正如人们早已认识到的那样，亚瑟·叔本华与东方的智慧相遇代表了与以前西方哲学家对东方的看法的背离。然而，鲜为人知的是，这次相遇也标志着现代系统历史哲学批判的关键时刻。由于叔本​​华怀疑历史中是否存在任何逻辑，无论是以天命计划的形式还是合理可理解的结构，他都质疑历史的科学地位及其对理解人类状况的意义。他拒绝基督教末世论和现代进步理论，而是选择了一种超历史的观点。这种对历史的诋毁，在十九世纪下半叶产生了深远的影响，必须根据叔本华对非西方哲学的参与来理解。叔本华贬低历史差异的重要性，这与他之前的历史哲学家形成鲜明对比，这促成了他对非西方思想的接受；他相信自己的超历史观点与印度教和佛教教义之间的密切关系，这使他对当代历史叙事和理论产生了敌意。