Anintellectualhistoryofthephilosopherswhograppledwiththeproblemofevil,andthecaseforwhypessimismstillholdsmoralvalueforustodayIntheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturies,philosophersengagedinheateddebatesonthequestionofhowGodcouldhaveallowedevilandsufferinginacreationthatissupposedlygood.DarkMatterstraceshowthecompetingphilosophicaltraditionsofoptimismandpessimismarosefromearlymoderndebatesabouttheproblemofevil,andmakesacompellingcasefortherediscoveryofpessimismasasourceforcompassion,consolation,andperhapsevenhope.Bringingtolifeoneofthemostvibranterasinthehistoryofphilosophy,MaravanderLugtdiscusseslegendaryfiguressuchasLeibniz,Hume,Voltaire,Rousseau,Kant,andSchopenhauer.Shealsointroducesreaderstolessfamiliarnames,suchasBayle,King,LaMettrie,andMaupertuis.VanderLugtdescribesnotonlyhowtheearliestoptimistsandpessimistsweredeeplyconcernedwithfindingananswertothequestionofthevalueofexistencethatdoesjusticetotherealityofhumansuffering,butalsohowtheywerefundamentallydividedoverwhatsuchananswershouldlooklike.Abreathtakingworkofintellectualhistorybyoneoftoday’sleadingscholars,DarkMattersrevealshowthecrucialmoralaimofpessimismistofindawayofspeakingaboutsufferingthatoffersconsolationanddoesjusticetothefragilityoflife.
