Jaspers, Karl (1883-1969)

A German psychiatrist and philosopher who suggested turning our attention to the form psychological symptoms took, and not just their content. In the field of philosophy he was interested in the concepts of transcendence (that which lies beyond the physical world) and existence. He also advocated for human rights and examined the question of German culpability in Nazi crimes. He was the first to integrate the notion of phenomenology into psychopathology, notably in his well-known book General Psychopathology (1913), which was published 100 years ago.