On the Tragic

by Peter Wessel Zapffe, Ryan L. Showler (translator)

Originally published in Norwegian in 1941, this is the magnum opus of one of Norway’s most celebrated philosophers, now made available in English for the first time. It examines the concept of the tragic and attempts to construct a more precise and useful definition on the basis of a "biosophical" look at the situation of organisms in their environment and their attempt to realize interests on multiple fronts through abilities they possess in a variety of degrees. This is a theory of genius, and of the dangers that frequently accompany it, and a sober account of the perils of consciousness for the human species. The robust and thorough treatment includes in-depth analysis of the relationship between real-world tragedies and those portrayed in theater and literature.

The English translation of On the Tragic by the Norwegian philosopher, writer, and environmentalist Peter Wessel Zapffe is a major achievement that for the first time introduces this classic text to Anglophone readers. On the one hand, the text is highly relevant to contemporary debates on the meaning of life and anti-natalism (the view that birth and life have negative value); on the other, it is a major text in 20th century Existentialism and Pessimism that develops an original theory of the human condition (as being characterized by meaninglessness and injustice). Finally, the text is known for its high literary level, vivid descriptions, and black humor.

―Roe Fremstedal, Professor of Philosophy, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

The translation of Zapffe’s Om det tragiske into English is a major event that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Zapffe argues that human consciousness mutated accidentally from nature as an error of overdevelopment, producing needs earthly life can never satisfy. The disillusioning insights that follow are formulated in a sophisticated everyday language and with an abundance of humor.

―Jørgen Haave, Zapffe biographer and Senior Curator at the Henrik Ibsen Museum, Skien, Norway

In this first English translation of Peter Wessel Zapffe’s On the Tragic, Dr. Ryan Showler has performed an extraordinary service to philosophy and, indeed, to the liberal arts and humanities. The Anglophone world can now appreciate the intensely original thinking of this remarkable scholar. In consequence, Zapffe will hereafter be recognized as among the most lucid and thoughtful advocates of philosophical pessimism.

―Todd K. Shackelford, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Psychology, Oakland University and Founding Director of the Center for Evolutionary Psychological Science

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Essays

606 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Peter Wessel Zapffe [pronounced ZAP-fe] was a Norwegian philosopher, author and mountaineer. He was well known for his somewhat pessimistic view of human existence and his philosophy is widely considered to be pessimistic, much like the earlier work of Arthur Schopenhauer, by whom he was inspired. His thoughts regarding 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). He called his brand of thought, biosophy, which he defined as "thinking on life".

(Source: wikipedia)

Reviews

[Jean Bourgeois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to sit in a fjord and feel existential

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be thinking about this one for a while. I was not familiar with the biosophical angle beforehand so the early chapters which focus on biology (e.g. Uexküll’s schema for the inner and outer world) took me by surprise. Very much enjoyed his discussions of Hamlet and the Book of Job in particular, and his thorough attempt to come to a clear and unambiguous definition of the tragic. Also neat to find a short summary at the very end of the book which I probably should have read first so as to have some idea of his approach before slogging through 500+ fairly dense pages.

[Veronika Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overraskende mye humor hos Peter. Den er til tider tung å lese, tankerekkene til Peter er ofte lange og det må en del konsentrasjon og hukommelse til får å henge helt med. Men de små vitsene hjelper godt på :) Språket er umoderne, men en blir vandt til det etter et par sider.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s what I thought after finishing it:

I think it’s pretty similar to The Last Messiah, at least from my perspective. I really liked some of the chapters about pain and suffering. I think if we can satisfy our needs — or if we have enough resources and merit to do so — we’re happy. If not, we suffer. But I think both satisfaction and dissatisfaction are tiring and full of suffering in their own ways.

Pain is a core part of life. It can come from dissatisfaction or discomfort, both physical and mental. There’s also the pain of change — knowing that nothing lasts. We struggle so hard to meet our needs, but once we do, our happiness starts to fade, and we have to keep chasing it. Sometimes we even fall into the hedonistic treadmill, where we get less happiness from the same things over time.

Then there’s metaphysical or existential pain — even when we’ve satisfied our needs, we still suffer from a lack of purpose or meaning, or we grow weary of the endless pursuit of happiness, or even the search for a reason to keep suffering.

When we suffer, we might try to distract ourselves, find meaning in the pain, or, in the worst cases, take our own lives. I like pessimistic philosophy because it offers a different way to look at life. It might not be absolutely true, and I’m not fully aligned with it, but I do wonder whether pessimistic thought resonates more with reality than optimism. Still, reading about pain — how we react to it, how futile it can feel, and what we can do about it — feels like exploring something that optimism might miss.

It hurts to be happy, doesn’t it?

[Fatih · Rating 5 out of 5]

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