But he’s not the only one: Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Camus, Miguel de Unamuno and many others can be gathered together under the banner of pessimism.Īt one level, these writers have little in common with one another, like the Christian and the scientist. In the original script for True Detective (in a line that didn’t make it onto the screen), Cohle mentions Arthur Schopenhauer, probably the most famous of these philosophical pessimists. Regardless of whether or not you are constitutionally cheerful, you believe you have the tools to succeed.īut there is a long line of philosophers who deny that the universe is like this or that we have this kind of power. That’s why you’re a philosophical optimist if you think like this. You’re in the driver’s seat, even before you choose a destination. Even if there are some particular things that are unknown or mysterious, the basic structure is something we can all get our head around. And when you know the basic laws of the universe, you are in a good position to make your life better and you have good reason to expect to succeed. They both think the universe is governed by clear laws (just different ones) that we can all understand. So lots of different world-views are optimistic – the devout Christian and the atheist scientist are equally optimistic. Optimists are people who think there is a fundamental order to the universe that the human mind can grasp. Cohle may be gloomy, but when he claims to be a pessimist, it’s not a personality trait that he is talking about at all. To a philosopher, someone is an optimist or a pessimist based on their ideas about how the world hangs together (or fails to) in a basic way. To a philosopher, it is ideas that are optimistic or pessimistic. And, indeed, there are different personality types in the world, people who are habitually happy or unhappy. But when philosophers use the words optimistic and pessimistic they mean something else – something that has nothing to do with disposition. Optimists are cheerful and forward-looking people pessimists are morose downers. Ordinarily, when we use the words ‘optimist’ and ‘pessimist’, we intend them as a description of personality. And more importantly, why would anyone want to be one? In the scene, Rust goes on to give a bit of explanation, but the key is the little phrase “in philosophical terms.” Much to Marty’s surprise, Rust denies being a Christian and when Marty presses further Rust says, “I consider myself a realist, all right, but in philosophical terms, I’m what’s called a pessimist.” When Marty asks what that means, Rust blows him off with the line “It means I’m bad at parties.” But what does it mean to be a pessimist? (See Professor David Cartwright’s answer to this question). In one of the first scenes of True Detective, Rust Cohle is being badgered by his partner Marty about his beliefs. This article is part of The Critique exclusive No Exit From Hell: The Philosophy of True Detective.