The Basis of Morality

Schopenhauer published "The Basis of Morality" in 1839 as a response to a question posed by the Royal Danish Society of Scientific Studies. The work was written in four sections: the first part provides Schopenhauer's answer to the Society's question as well as an interpretation of western ethics; the second section is a criticism of Kantian ethics; the third lays out the construction of Schopenhauer's own ethical theory; and the final section examines the metaphysical foundations of ethics. As a whole, the work is an extensive discussion of compassion as the basis for morality, and the will of human beings to be unselfish.