Peter Wessel Zapffe
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Peter Wessel Zapffe (December 18, 1899-October 12, 1990) was a Norwegian author and philosopher. He was born in Tromsø and was well known for his somewhat pessimistic view of human existence. His basic thoughts about the error of human existence are presented in the essay, The Last Messiah (original: Den sidste Messias 1933). This essay is a shorter version of his best-known work, the philosophical treatise, On the Tragic (original: Om det tragiske 1941).
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 provide satisfaction for. The tragedy, following this theory, is that humans spend all their time trying not to be human. The human being, therefore, is a paradox.
Zapffe described four principal defense mechanisms that humankind uses to avoid facing this paradox:
- Isolation. One hides from the truth. The individual simply does not talk or think about it.
- The anchoring mechanism. This mechanism is based on all things humans take for granted.
- Distraction. The most popular defense mechanism; the individual simply focusses their attention on external impressions.
- Sublimation. The least popular defense mechanism; the individual outdistances him / herself and looks at their existence from an aesthetic point of view (eg, writers, poets, painters.) Zapffe pointed out the fact that he himself used this method combined with a sense of humor concerning the nature of life.
Zappfe was a prolific mountain climber and author of many humorous short stories about climbing and other adventures in nature, taking a very early interest in environmentalism.
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[edit] Greater works
- Om det tragiske (en. On the tragic), Oslo 1941 og 1983.
- Vett og uvett. Stubber fra Troms og Nordland (en. Wits and witless) by Einar K. Aas and P.W Zapffe, Trondheim 1942.
- Den fortapte sønn, En dramatisk gjenfortælling (en. The lost son, a dramatic renarration), Oslo 1951.
- Indføring i litterær dramaturgi (en. Introduction to literary dramaturgy), Oslo 1961.
- Den logiske sandkasse (en. The logical sandpit), Oslo 1965.
- Essays og epistler (en. Essays and epistles), 1967
- Barske gleder (en. Rough pleasures), 1969
- Lyksalig pinsefest (en. Blissful Pentecost), Oslo 1972.
- Hos doktor Wangel (en. With dr. Wangel), by Ib Henriksen (pseudonym.), Oslo 1974. Play.
- Rikets hemmelighet (en. The secret of the kingdom), Oslo 1985.
- Hvordan jeg blev så flink (en. How I became so clever), 1986
[edit] Quotes
"Man is a tragic animal. Not because of his smallness, but because he is too well endowed. Man has longings and spiritual demands that reality cannot fulfill. Man requires meaning in a meaningless world".
"Each new generation asks – What is the meaning of life? A more fertile way of putting the question would be – Why does man need a meaning to life?"
"The seed of a metaphysical or religious defeat is in us all. For the honest questioner, however, who doesn’t seek refuge in some faith or fantasy, there will never be an answer".
"We come from an inconceivable nothingness. We stay a while in something which seems equally inconceivable, only to vanish again into the inconceivable nothingness".
"The immediate facts are what we must relate to. Darkness and light, beginning and end".
"Death is a terrible provocation. It appears almost everywhere, presenting a stern but effective scale for both values and ethics".
"I myself am no longer very much afflicted by the thought of my own death. The synthesis, Peter Wessel Zapffe, did not originate until 1899. It was spared from immediate participation in the horrors of the previous years, and it will not miss what awaits mankind at the end of its vertiginous madness".
- From To be a Human Being – the philosopher Peter Wessel Zapffe in his 90th year (Documentary by Original Film, 1989-90).
