Particular, Individual, Variation

Modern Atomism has its roots in the the Theological concept of Individual Soul.  It is formally expressed in the replacement of the Aristotelian Quantifier Particular by Individual, which transforms the commensurable Universal-Particular pair into the antithesis of Universal vs. Individual.  Now, despite the potential repudiation of Atomism inherent in his fundamental Universal Will to Live principle, Schopenhauer perpetuates it by preserving Individual as the corresponding Quantifier.  Furthermore, despite relegating Individuality to ontological inferiority, he still dignifies it qua Principle of Individuation, seemingly unaware that a Principle connotes Universality.  Now one relaxation of this logical rigidity comes from outside Philosophy--Darwin's concept of Variation, which is more sharply contrasted with that of Universal than is Particular, but less than the polarization that Individual signifies.  The advantage to Schopenhauer of replacing Individual by Variation, would be that it grounds the concept of a Personal Will that his combination of Compassion and Self-Denial requires, but, which is groundless in his doctrine as is, as has been previously discussed.  However, that replacement would sacrifice the relegation of Personhood to the status of Maya that reflects the influence of Buddhism, but that only stunts his Moral doctrine.