Schopenhauer's philosophical work is a monument to human vicissitude. It explores some of the fundamental issues that have relentlessly haunted humankind for centuries, such as death, love, war, art, and culture. While approaching an oeuvre of such magnitude might feel intimidating, the present collection of essential Schopenhauerian essays around the subjects of freedom, ethics, politics, and state provides an accessible path into the work of one of the most essential philosophers in the history of contemporary Western thought.