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Peter Wessel Zapffe

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Region
  
Western Philosophy

Parents
  
Fritz Gottlieb Zapffe

Name
  
Peter Zapffe

Books
  
Essays

Role
  
Metaphysician

Plays
  
The Prodigal Son

Influenced
  
Thomas Ligotti


Peter Wessel Zapffe PEMCHAGP0590 Portrett av Peter Wessel Zapffe Flickr

Born
  
December 18, 1899
Tromso, Norway

Era
  
20th-century philosophy

School
  
Biosophy, philosophical pessimism

Main interests
  
Metaphysics, nihilism, antinatalism

Notable ideas
  
Biosophy, the Last Messiah, "remedies against panic"

Died
  
October 12, 1990, Asker, Norway

Similar People
  
Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Thomas Hobbes

Peter wessel zapffe the last messiah part 1


Peter Wessel Zapffe (December 18, 1899 – October 12, 1990) was a Norwegian metaphysician, author, lawyer and mountaineer. He is often noted for his philosophically pessimistic and fatalistic view of human existence—his system of philosophy in line with the work of the earlier philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, by whom he was inspired—as well as his firm advocacy of antinatalism. His thoughts regarding the error of human life are presented in the essay "The Last Messiah" (Norwegian: Den sidste Messias, 1933). This essay is a shorter version of his best-known work, the philosophical treatise On the Tragic (Om det tragiske, 1941).

Contents

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Philosophy

Peter Wessel Zapffe 2 Peter Wessel Zapffe Planet Zapffe

Zapffe's theory is that humans are born with an overdeveloped skill (understanding, self-knowledge) which does not fit into nature's design. The human craving for justification on matters such as life and death cannot be satisfied, hence humanity has a need that nature cannot satisfy. The tragedy, following this theory, is that humans spend all their time trying not to be human. The human being, therefore, is a paradox.

In The Last Messiah Zapffe described four principal defense mechanisms that humankind uses to avoid facing this paradox:

Peter Wessel Zapffe Planet Zapffe if a desert island is no tragedy why is

  • Isolation is "a fully arbitrary dismissal from consciousness of all disturbing and destructive thought and feeling".
  • Anchoring is the "fixation of points within, or construction of walls around, the liquid fray of consciousness". The anchoring mechanism provides individuals a value or an ideal that allows them to focus their attentions in a consistent manner. Zapffe also applied the anchoring principle to society, and stated "God, the Church, the State, morality, fate, the laws of life, the people, the future" are all examples of collective primary anchoring firmaments.
  • Distraction is when "one limits attention to the critical bounds by constantly enthralling it with impressions". Distraction focuses all of one's energy on a task or idea to prevent the mind from turning in on itself.
  • Sublimation is the refocusing of energy away from negative outlets, toward positive ones. The individuals distance themselves and look at their existence from an aesthetic point of view (e.g., writers, poets, painters). Zapffe himself pointed out that his produced works were the product of sublimation.

    • Zapffe was a prolific mountaineer and took a very early interest in environmentalism. This form of nature conservationism sprung from the intent, not of protecting nature, but to avoid human culturalization of nature. He is the author of many humorous short stories about climbing and other adventures in nature.

    Personal life

    Zapffe married twice. He remained married to his second wife Berit Zapffe until his death in 1990. Berit herself died in May 2008. Zapffe remained childless by choice.

    Works

  • Om det tragiske (En: On the Tragic), Oslo, 1941 and 1983.
  • Den fortapte sønn. En dramatisk gjenfortælling (En: The Prodigal Son: A Dramatic Renarration), Oslo, 1951.
  • Indføring i litterær dramaturgi (En: Introduction to Literary Dramaturgy), Oslo, 1961.
  • Den logiske sandkasse. Elementær logikk for universitet og selvstudium (En: The Logical Sandpit: Elementary Logic for University and Individual Study), Oslo, 1965.
  • Lyksalig pinsefest. Fire samtaler med Jørgen (En: Blissful Pentecost: Four Dialogues with Jørgen), Oslo, 1972.
  • Hos doktor Wangel. En alvorlig spøk i fem akter (En: With Doctor Wangel: An Earnest Jest in Five Acts), by Ib Henriksen (pseudonym.), Oslo, 1974. Play.
  • Rikets hemmelighet. En kortfattet Jesus-biografi (En: The Secret of the Kingdom: A Short Biography of Jesus), Oslo, 1985.
    • Collections of his shorter writings
  • Essays og epistler (En: Essays and epistles), Oslo, 1967.
  • Barske glæder og andre temaer fra et liv under åpen himmel (En: Rough Joys, and other themes from a life lived under the open sky), Oslo 1969.
  • Spøk og alvor. Epistler og leilighetsvers (En: Jest and Earnest: epistles and occasional verse), Oslo, 1977.
  • Hvordan jeg blev så flink og andre tekster (En: How I Became So Clever, and other texts), Oslo, 1986.
    • Other works
  • Vett og uvett. Stubber fra Troms og Nordland (En: Sense and Silly: small stories from Troms and Nordland) by Einar K. Aas and P. W. Zapffe, Trondheim 1942.

    • References

    Peter Wessel Zapffe Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA