In the first essay contained in the book, titled The Ideal and the Real, Arthur Schopenhauer examines what in our perception of things belongs to the realm of the ideal, what can indeed be attributed to us and does not constitute a representation of an objective reality, and what may exist objectively and independently of our own perception. After presenting the views of other philosophers, starting with Plotinus, he arrives at his own position.

In the second essay, titled Man and Destiny, Schopenhauer, once again reflecting on the views of earlier, primarily ancient, philosophers, expresses his concern about an apparent purposefulness that seems to be inherent in the destiny of human beings. Everything that happens to them inevitably gives the impression that it is part of a broader plan devised by some unknown force greater than themselves.