Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life
This extended Parerga essay examines what one is, what one has and what one represents to others. Counsels, maxims and distinctions between life stages provisionally pursue an existence as tolerable as possible.
Understanding the text
Often published separately, it is the sixth part of Parerga I; its advice does not summarize the entire ethics of compassion.
Key points
- 01
Being and having
Health, disposition and intellectual activity matter more to lived experience than accumulating possessions.
- 02
Reputation
Giving priority to others’ opinions can make life depend on unstable external evaluations.
- 03
Prudence
Advice about solitude, expectations and relationships rests on a pessimistic anthropology open to criticism.
How to read it
Test a maxim against a contrary case and ask what social conditions make following it realistically possible.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗