Philipp Mainländer (1841-1876) was a German philosopher and poet, born Philipp Batz, who adopted the name Mainländer in honor of his hometown, Offenbach am Main. He is known for his profoundly pessimistic philosophy, considered by some to be the most radical in philosophical literature. His central work, Die Philosophie der Erlösung (The Philosophy of Redemption), articulates his view that life is inherently worthless and that non-being is preferable to being. Mainländer argued that the "will to die," not the "will to live" as proposed by Schopenhauer, is the fundamental driving force of the universe. He saw the universe as moving towards nothingness, driven by this inherent will.
Mainländer's philosophical system includes a unique creation myth where God, overwhelmed by his own being, commits suicide, resulting in the creation of the universe. He believed all beings carry a fragment of this divine essence and unconsciously strive to return to nothingness, viewing death as ultimate liberation. Mainländer's philosophy promotes asceticism and detachment, advocating for the peaceful extinction of humanity as a form of cosmic euthanasia. He critiqued the moral quietism found in Schopenhauer's philosophy, arguing that it failed to address the broader societal implications of existential suffering. Tragically, Mainländer took his own life shortly after publishing the first volume of The Philosophy of Redemption, seeing it as the logical conclusion to his philosophy.
