Karl Jaspers

Karl Jaspers (1883–1969) was a German psychiatrist and philosopher whose work helped shape modern psychiatry and twentieth-century philosophy. Trained in medicine, he became a leading figure in descriptive psychopathology, emphasizing careful clinical observation and the limits of causal explanation in understanding mental illness. His landmark book *General Psychopathology* (1913) influenced psychiatric method and terminology. Turning increasingly to philosophy, Jaspers developed an existential approach focused on freedom, communication, and “boundary situations,” and engaged closely with phenomenology. He taught at Heidelberg before being dismissed by the Nazi regime; after World War II he worked in Basel. His writings include *Philosophy of Existence* (1938).