Karl Jaspers - Physician, Psychologist, Philosopher, Political Thinker

This book paints a brief picture of Karl Jaspers' unusual life and philosophy. The reader gets to know a brave personality who had to face a life between extremes. Threatened by an incurable disease and harassed by the Nazi regime, Jaspers nevertheless succeeds in building a fruitful work as a psychiatrist, researcher, academic teacher, philosopher and political writer and living an unusually happy marriage in the process. The reader is introduced to the main themes of his thinking: the meaning of life in borderline situations, interpersonal communication, God, the meaning of history and the defense of democracy. His criticism of illiberal totalitarian ways of thinking,

Inhaltsverzeichnis:

1. Stages of an arduous but happy life.- 2. The encounter with two controversial thinkers: Max Weber and Martin Heidegger.- 3. What is the meaning of being human? - 4. Liberal ethos of humanity, morality and education.- 5. Transcendence and cipher metaphysics instead of religious belief in a personal God.- 6. Philosophical belief in reason as an alternative to religious belief in revelation.- 7. History and the Axial Age in world history.- 8. World history of philosophy and the vision of a future "world philosophy" .- 9. On the understanding of politics.- 10. Politics, reason and democratic culture.- 11. Provocative statements on German politics of the time.- 12. On the diversity of Jaspers' thinking.- 13. Effect and topicality.