En présence de Schopenhauer

En présence de Schopenhauer ("in Schopenhauer's presence") is a 2017 book by the French writer Michel Houellebecq. It is a personal reflection on the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer and the effect he has had on Houellebecq.

En présence de Schopenhauer
Cover of the first edition
AuthorMichel Houellebecq
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
PublisherL'Herne
Publication date
11 January 2017
Pages96
ISBN978-2-85197-832-5

Synopsis

Houellebecq recounts how he as a 25-year-old came across a copy of Schopenhauer's Aphorisms. Houellebecq became enthralled within minutes and hunted down the philosopher's major work, The World as Will and Representation. Although a "disappointed enthusiast" for the positivism of Auguste Comte, it is in Schopenhauer's philosophy he finds consolation.

Reception

France Culture's Géraldine Mosna-Savoye wrote that "Houellebecq turns himself into a formidable commentator", and that it would be a mistake to try to read the book as "a clarification of [Houellebecq's] writings". The critic argued that the book should be read only as a confrontation with Schopenhauer's philosophy, and as such manages to make it "both present and current".[1] Joseph Hanimann of the Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote that "Houellebecq's Schopenhauer commentaries offer an as thorough as original reading". Hanimann was particularly fascinated by Houellebecq's defense of eroticism as a viable part of art, which is in conflict with Schopenhauer's view, and wrote that "it's just a pity that he doesn't go further into such paradoxes".[2]

gollark: But as long as one person did the network could work across them.
gollark: Most people did not have access to intercontinental or really long distance links IIRC.
gollark: The networks of the time just wouldn't make it practical to have everyone connect to one server somewhere like we can now.
gollark: Nope.
gollark: Additionally, there was only one IRC network and it had all servers in it.

References
  1. Mosna-Savoye, Géraldine (2017-01-03). "'En présence de Schopenhauer' de Michel Houellebecq". France Culture (in French). Retrieved 2017-08-07. Houellebecq se fait un formidable commentateur : on aurait tort d'ailleurs d'y voir un éclairage sur son écriture, un « concept auquel ramener son œuvre ». Il faut plutôt y voir un éclairage sans masque, une mise en présence de Schopenhauer : ce qui nous le rend à la fois présent et le rend actuel.
  2. Hanimann, Joseph (2017-01-12). "Houellebecq liest Schopenhauer". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2017-08-07. Houellebecqs Schopenhauer-Kommentare bieten eine ebenso gründliche wie originelle Lektüre. ... Schade nur, dass er auf solche Paradoxe nicht weiter eingeht.
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