Peter Wessel Zapffe (/ˈzæpfə/; Norwegian: [ˈsɑ̂pfə]; 18 December 1899 – 12 October 1990) was a Norwegian philosopher, author, artist, lawyer and mountaineer. He is often noted for his philosophically pessimistic and fatalistic view of human existence. His system of philosophy was inspired by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, as well as his firm advocacy of antinatalism. His thoughts regarding the error of human life are presented in the essay "The Last Messiah" ("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).
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Peter Wessel Zapffe in the context of Philosophical pessimism
Philosophical pessimism is the view that life and existence are of negative value. It is often expressed as the claim that life is not worth living and that non-existence would, at least in many cases, be preferable to coming into or remaining in existence. Other formulations focus on claims that suffering and other harms have more impact or severity than pleasure and other goods; that the amount of bad in the world exceeds the quantity of good; or that existence lacks inherent value or purpose and can at most be fleetingly beneficial or limitedly meaningful.
Themes associated with pessimism appear in a range of religious and philosophical traditions, including parts of Buddhism, the book of Ecclesiastes, certain forms of Gnosticism, and the work of Hegesias of Cyrene. In the 19th century, Arthur Schopenhauer gave pessimism a systematic form in his The World as Will and Representation, and later German thinkers such as Eduard von Hartmann and Philipp Mainländer developed their own versions. In the 20th and 21st centuries, authors including Peter Wessel Zapffe, Emil Cioran, Thomas Ligotti, David Benatar, Julio Cabrera and Drew Dalton have revisited pessimistic ideas using arguments from ethics, psychology and the natural sciences.
Peter Wessel Zapffe in the context of The Last Messiah
"The Last Messiah" (Norwegian: "Den sidste Messias") is a 1933 essay by the Norwegian philosopher Peter Wessel Zapffe. One of his most significant works, this approximately 10-page-long essay would later be expanded upon in Zapffe's book On the Tragic, and, as a theory, describes a reinterpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche's Übermensch. Zapffe believed that existential crisis or angst in humanity was the result of an overly evolved intellect, and that people overcome this by "artificially limiting the content of consciousness".
Peter Wessel Zapffe in the context of On the Tragic
On the Tragic (Norwegian: Om det tragiske) is a philosophical work by Norwegian philosopher and writer Peter Wessel Zapffe, first published in 1941 as part of his doctoral thesis. The book investigates the concept of the tragic in human existence, analyzing it through the lenses of biology, psychology, and philosophy. It is considered one of Zapffe's most important works and a significant contribution to philosophical pessimism.