Karl Jaspers

The German philosopher Karl Jaspers was born in 1883 and died in 1969. He received most of his education in the cities of Heidelberg and Gottingen, Germany. He cannot be narrowly categorized as an advocate of a specific science, as he was not only a physicist, psychiatrist, and lawyer, but also passionately engaged in the study of philosophy, particularly the existentialist movement. His works reveal influences from philosophers such as Spinoza, Kant, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche. In contrast, he does not appear to be significantly influenced by the existentialist theories of Heidegger and Sartre. He contrasted Heidegger's philosophical term "Dasein" (being) with the term "Existenz" (existence). The being of a person is something narrower than their existence. The purpose of existence should be considered the transcendence of being, a motto established by Nietzsche's Zarathustra, the model of the Übermensch. Jaspers is among those philosophers who did not view philosophy as just another science, but as the solution to the problems that have perpetually plagued human existence. A significant portion of his philosophical thought is contained in his "Philosophy" (1941). There, he tells us much about his life and career: "Initially, I chose to study law with the intention of becoming a lawyer. At the same time, I attended philosophy courses. The latter proved disappointing. The lectures offered nothing of what I sought in philosophy: neither the fundamental experiences of Existence nor guidance for inner action or personal improvement. What they offered were more questionable opinions claiming scientific validity. However, what I sought was a substantial understanding of reality."