What does Schopenhauer mean by this passage?
So, for Schopenhauer, the motive (an object of thought/"appearance") acting on a person's empirical character (his individual will) provides the sufficient reason why one conducts themselves in a certain way. Yet what does he mean here by "abstract from"??
"Only on the presupposition of my empirical character is the motive a sufficient ground of explanation of my conduct. But if I abstract from my character, and then ask why in general I will this and not that, no answer is possible, because only the appearance or phenomenon of the will is subject to the principle of sufficient reason, not the will itself, which in this respect may be called groundless"
"Only on the presupposition of my empirical character is the motive a sufficient ground of explanation of my conduct. But if I abstract from my character, and then ask why in general I will this and not that, no answer is possible, because only the appearance or phenomenon of the will is subject to the principle of sufficient reason, not the will itself, which in this respect may be called groundless"
Comments (1)
Taking a position to argue from pure reason, the transcendental ego or the res cogitans, I'd say.
He says that the choice made is the choice for the concrete character then and there, not a principle choice or the maxime of the will, but only an appearance thereof.
Kant had the argument that free will can only focus values-in-themselves as only those are values who deserve to be wanted for their own sake, regardless of empirical circumstances.