Philosophy of Existence

Karl Jaspers (1883-1969)--"founder of German existentialism" (Martin Heidegger) and "a lucid and flexible intelligence in the service of a genuine and passionate concern for human life" (William Barrett)--is one of the great thinkers of our time. In this compact discussion ofBeing, Truth, and Realityhe presents what for him is the complete philosophy: "the concentration whereby man becomes himself by sharing in reality."

Karl Jaspers (1883-1969) studied and taught psychiatry before becoming professor of philosophy at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, in 1921. In 1937, he was removed from his post by the National Socialist regime for political reasons; shortly after his ouster, in his last public appearance for many years to come, he gave the lectures on which Philosophy of Existence is based. From 1949 to his retirement in 1961, he held the chair of philosophy at Basel, Switzerland