December 18

Born on December 18, 1899, in Tromsø, Norway, Peter Wessel Zapffe became a leading voice in existential philosophy. He argued that human self-awareness leads to existential anxiety and suffering, best articulated in his essay "The Last Messiah." Zapffe suggested that humans cope with their existential condition through mechanisms like isolation, anchoring, distraction, and sublimation. He earned a legal degree and later wrote fiction and essays exploring ecological and philosophical themes. Although his work was initially overlooked, Zapffe’s ideas gained recognition posthumously, influencing debates on environmental ethics and the human predicament. He passed away in 1990, leaving a thought-provoking legacy in modern philosophy.