as we have learned especially from the wonderful writings of Schopenhauer

[GoodTaste]

Does "Buddhism, as we have learned especially from the wonderful writings of Schopenhauer, contains a much stronger element of this" refer to "Schopenhauer tells us that Buddhism contains a much stronger element of this"?

_______________

3.) "...a brief piece entitled 'Religion and Science,' first published in the New York Times Sunday Magazine for 9 November 1930...Einstein explains: ...The beginnings of cosmic religious feeling already appear at an early stage of development,... Buddhism, as we have learned especially from the wonderful writings of Schopenhauer, contains a much stronger element of this. (Einstein 1930, 38)" - The cosmos of science: essays of exploration, By John Earman, John D. Norton, Edition: reprint, illustrated Published by Univ of Pittsburgh Press, 1998, p.96

Source: Wikipedia

 

[Raymott]

Does "Buddhism, as we have learned especially from the wonderful writings of Schopenhauer, contains a much stronger element of this" refer to "Schopenhauer tells us that Buddhism contains a much stronger element of this"?

Probably not, but you haven't indicated where the sentence "Schopenhauer tells us that Buddhism..." is. So it's impossible to say the proposition refers to something that doesn't exist. Did you mean "Do they mean the same?" Again, no. Schopenhauer may know nothing of whatever it is that contains "weaker elements of this," and it is we who are deducing this from what we know of the weaker source, and what we know from Schopenhauer.
But you could clarify the question.

 

[GoodTaste]

I think I've missed the basic question for which I want to know the answer. The basic question is, grammatically, does "Buddhism, as we have learned especially from the wonderful writings of Schopenhauer, contains a much stronger element of this" simply refer to "as we have learned especially from the wonderful writings of Schopenhauer, that Buddhism contains a much stronger element of this"?

 

[GoesStation]

I think I've missed the basic question for which I want to know the answer. The basic question is, grammatically, does "Buddhism, as we have learned especially from the wonderful writings of Schopenhauer, contains a much stronger element of this" simply refer to "as we have learned especially from the wonderful writings of Schopenhauer, [STRIKE]that[/STRIKE] Buddhism contains a much stronger element of this"?

With my correction above, yes. Whatever "this" may be, the author believes Schopenhauer's writings teach us that Buddhism contains it.

 

[Raymott]

Yes, but I think there's a problem with your understanding of "refer to". Two sentences with the same basic meaning don't "refer to" each other. I think you're asking whether sentence 1 means the same as sentence 2 - which GS has answered.