Q0068

“The world is my representation.” — Arthur Schopenhauer (The World as Will and Representation,…)

Verified English quotation. Primary source: The World as Will and Representation, Vol. 1. Theme: knowledge.

English

The world is my representation.
School Voluntarism
Source The World as Will and Representation, Vol. 1

Source and attribution

The archive attributes this English wording to The World as Will and Representation, Vol. 1 and files it under Voluntarism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

About Arthur Schopenhauer

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) was a German philosopher of pessimism whose The World as Will and Representation fused Kantian phenomena with a blind metaphysical will. Largely ignored while Hegel dominated Berlin, he later won fame influencing artists and psychologists.

How to read this passage

Epistemology asks whether knowledge is justified true belief, reliable tracking of the world, or something else; it also asks how perception, testimony, memory, and reason contribute. This passage enters that discussion through knowledge, nature, self.

Concepts in this quote

Knowledge
Knowledge is the philosophical study of what we can justifiably claim to know—and where certainty ends.
Nature
Philosophy quotes about nature ask what the cosmos is, how humans belong in it, and whether “natural” can guide ethics or politics.
Self
Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.

How to cite this quotation

APA: Arthur Schopenhauer. (n.d.). The world is my representation. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0068

MLA: Arthur Schopenhauer. “The world is my representation..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0068.

Chicago: Arthur Schopenhauer. “The world is my representation..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0068.

Frequently asked questions

What is the source of the quotation “The world is my representation.”?

The passage is attributed to Arthur Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation, Vol. 1. The archive attributes this English wording to The World as Will and Representation, Vol. 1 and files it under Voluntarism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

What does Arthur Schopenhauer mean by knowledge?

Epistemology asks whether knowledge is justified true belief, reliable tracking of the world, or something else; it also asks how perception, testimony, memory, and reason contribute. This passage enters that discussion through knowledge, nature, self.