Tuesday, October 04, 2016

Existential Comics

Thanks to following Pigliucci on Twitter I discovered Existential Comics. It's pretty funny but the drawing is atrocious. I immediately looked up the installments associated with Schopenhauer. The first one is about Schopenhauer's antagonism towards Hegel.


You see what I mean about the drawing.

But the author captures the sit-com-esque relationship between Schopenhauer and Hegel - Schopenhauer always fuming about what an idiot Hegel was, Hegel constantly succeeding and appearing not to know that Schopenhauer exists. Really you could sustain a comic about Schopenhauer based on that scenario alone. That and Schopenhauer's relationship with his poodle.

I referenced both poodle and Hegel-hating in my play JULIA & BUDDY in which Schopenhauer makes an appearance:


SCHOPENHAUER
Life is misery. Each and every one of us must suffer and each and every one must die. That is what unites us all. Instead of Sir or Madame we should greet each other in this way: “Greetings poor soul, how is your suffering today?” and when we part we should say: “Farewell, I hope you will suffer less tomorrow.” We are such wretched creatures that we have nothing of value to offer to each other except tolerance, patience, and love.
JULIA
That’s beautiful.
SCHOPENHAUER
Jah. I have my moments. That is from my “Studies in Pessimism.” But tell me, would you say my work is more popular than the work of Hegel, in your time? 

JULIA
Yes. I believe so. 
SCHOPENHAUER
I shall make another prediction - the more time that goes by, the more my work will be appreciated. All the things I have said - all will be empirically verified. 
(A dog barks offstage.) 
     And now I must leave you.
JULIA
Oh don’t go. There is so much more to say - 
(Another bark.) 
SCHOPENHAUER
Butz must have his walkies.