Peter Wessel Zapffe (1899–1990)

This short little essay is a summary of Zapffe's philosophy which is more fully explicated in his dissertation On the Tragic. I felt an instant affinity to the author since his ideas are similar to mine. Like the prehistoric Irish Elk that evolved antlers so large they led to its extinction, humans have evolved a consciousness that has negative consequences. We continually ask questions that have no answer and search for meaning that doesn't exist. To cope with this, we spend our time limiting the contents of consciousness. Immersion in the now, mindfulness, drugs, sex and religion are popular means of doing this.

I would like to read his dissertation, but unfortunately I can't read Norwegian. If you want an existentialist who goes beyond Nietzsche, this is your guy. Whereas Sartre is ultimately hopeful, Zapffe is not.

You can find a copy on wikipedia: http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/The_Last_Messiah… (meer)