Instinctive roots of philosophical pessimism – Part II

Percy Shelley

We continue to study the instinctive roots of philosophical pessimism, started in the first part of the article.

In spite of the optimistic influences which belong to Christianity we find individual writers entertaining the gloomiest conceptions of existence. Much of this complaint takes the shape of antagonism to some optimistic idea put forth in the name of theology or of philosophy.

Instinctive roots of philosophical pessimism – Part I

Sophocles

We can often hear the opinion that pessimism is just a mode of mood and not a very good one. Modern "hurray-optimists" in science, and especially in psychological “scientific” field constantly repeat the mantra that the man himself is an architect of his own happiness.

Unfortunately, they often forget that every carnage of the last century has been arranged just by very optimistic people who believed in the progress of humanity or a single nation towards great happiness. Naturally, all these doctrines did not shun anything for the sake of their dogmas.