《叔本华作品集(精)》虽然讨论的话题众多，但里面贯穿着的基本思想主线清晰可辨。叔本华这位“语言艺术家”(弗兰茨·卡夫卡的赞语)的过人之处就在于把真理裹以最朴素的语言外衣，从而让真理直接发挥其必然具备的震撼力。因为深刻，所以朴素；因为朴素，更见深刻。尼采形容阅读叔本华的著作犹如抵达了“一处森林高地——在这里，我们深深地呼吸着清新的空气，整个人感觉耳目一新，重又充满了生机”。《叔本华作品集(精)》里代表性的论文只占叔本华全部哲学著作的一小部分，但这些论文足以让我们领略到叔本华这位“不折不扣的天才”(托尔斯泰语)的思想魅力。
    

在当今全球化时代，随着国门进一步开放，中外交流日渐增多，人们普遍重视英语学习，国人中尤其年轻人中具备阅读英文原著能力的人越来越多了。在这种形势下，“英文学术名著”系列应运而生。编辑者的计划是，选择西方哲学、人文学科、社会科学领域的最基本的英文经典原著，分批陆续出版，为有志者提供价廉的版本和阅读的便利。《叔本华作品集(精)》为该系列中的一本。

I The Wisdom of Life1 DIVISION OF THE SUBJECT2 PERSONALITY, OR WHAT A MAN IS3 PROPERTY， OR WHAT A MAN HAS4 POSITION, OR A MAN'S PLACE4.1 Reputation4.2 Pride4.3 Rank4.4 Honor4.5 FameII Counsels and Maxims5 GENERAL RULES6 OUR RELATION TO OURSELVES7 OUR RELATION TO OTHERS8 WORLDLY FORTUNE9 THE AGES OF LIFEIII Religion, a Dialogue, Etc.10 RELIGION. A DIALOGUE11 A FEW WORDS ON PANTHEISM12 ON BOOKS AND READING13 PHYSIOGNOMY14 PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS15 THE CHRISTIAN SYSTEMIV The Art of Literature16 ON AUTHORSHIP17 ON STYLE18 ON THE STUDY OF LATIN19 ON MEN OF LEARNING20 ON THINKING FOR ONESELF21 ON SOME FORMS OF LITERATURE22 ON CRITICISM23 ON REPUTATION24 ON GENIUSV Studies in Pessimism25 ON THE SUFFERINGS OF THE WORLD26 THE VANITY OF EXISTENCE27 ON SUICIDE28 IMMORTALITY:A DIALOGUE29 PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS30 ON EDUCATION31 OF WOMENThe Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer32 ON NOISE33 A FEW PARABLESVI On Human Nature34 HUMAN NATURE35 GOVERNMENT36 FREE-WILL AND FATALISM37 CHARACTER38 MORAL INSTINCT39 ETHICAL REFLECTIONSVII The Art of Controversy40 PRELIMINARY: LOGIC AND DIALECTIC41 THE BASIS OF ALL DIALECTIC42 STRATAGEMS42.1 ON THE COMPARATIVE PLACE OF INTEREST AND BEAUTY IN WORKS OFART42.2 PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS42.3 ON THE WISDOM OF LIFE: APHORISMS42.4 GENIUS AND VIRTUE