About

My name is Fernando Olszewski. I have a bachelor's in economics from the University of North Dakota (UND), a bachelor's in philosophy from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), and I am currently working on a master's in philosophy at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). My current research is on how dualist and non-dualist metaphysical systems — such as different forms of Gnosticism and Buddhism — have influenced the philosophical pessimism of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) and Emil Cioran (1911-1995). This research being done under the supervision of professor Regina Schöpke. Previously, between 2019 and 2021, I researched the nihilist and pessimist views of history and existence found in the works of philosopher Emil Cioran, under the supervision of professor Rossano Pecoraro, my academic advisor at UNIRIO's Philosophy School. Part of that work tried explain some of the ethical implications of Cioran's pessimistic thinking — above all, his rejection of life and becoming.

This blog is the English version of my Portuguese-written blog (links below), something I've had for quite a while now, and has mutated throughout the years. When I first started writing, many years ago, my blog had a different purpose and dealt with different themes. With time, my views on several subjects changed. Little by little, a lot of the beliefs I held were altered, from everyday questions to politics to the meaning of life. A lot of the “truths” that guided me throughout my twenties crumbled. I write from the point of view of negative or pessimist philosophies that embrace the idea that the world we live in is far from the best world possible. There are consequences when one reaches this conclusion. One of the them is to think that between what exists and nothing, maybe it would be better if nothing existed, especially when we are dealing with our consciousness.

This sounds depressing. I admit it is. But I'll continue to write from my own perspective, trying to bring something more to the discussion than just a depressing view of the subject, even though sometimes depression is warranted. Although I defend that existence isn't something we should celebrate, I believe that, since we are already here, there is no need to make it even worse by contributing with suffering. This attitude has ethical, and also political implications that I try to expound in writing. The areas in philosophy that interest me the most are: ethics, philosophy of religion, philosophy of science and technology, political philosophy, the study of nihilism and pessimism. Some of the authors that have influenced me are: Seneca (4 b.C.-65), Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), David Hume (1711-1776), Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), Peter Wessel Zapffe (1899-1990), Julio Cabrera (1944), David Benatar (1966), among others.