Translated from Norwegian: Vladislav Pedder

For the first time in Russian, the first complete biography of Peter Wessel Zapffe, a Norwegian pessimist philosopher, whose life is still surrounded by a halo of mystery. The author systematizes Zapffe's legacy and shows him primarily as a living person: the cruelty of his father and the early death of his sister, which influenced the formation of his pessimism, as well as difficult relationships with three women who played an important role in his fate. The book provides access to unique sources — rare diaries, letters, and archival materials, many of which are being published for the first time. This is one of the most important books for understanding not only Zapffe's philosophy, but also the tragic events from which it grew.
"Being human is the only true Hell"

Translated from Norwegian: Vladislav Pedder

The third volume of "On the Tragic" completes the fundamental work of Peter Wessel Zapffe.

It is entirely devoted to the analysis of the cultural and aesthetic phenomenon of the tragic. This volume focuses on the analysis of the tragic in art, theater, myth, and literary tradition, as it relates to emotional reactions and cultural context. The famous text about Job's struggle as an archetype of suffering and opposition to God appears here for the first time. The main idea of this volume is that the tragic cannot be reduced only to the "content" of the plot.
Zapffe also polemicizes with many authors, examines the modern tradition of the tragic in the person of Hegel, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer and others, compares different philosophical approaches to catharsis and analyzes poetic examples (Aeschylus, the myth of Orestes, "Hamlet").

Translated from Norwegian: Vladislav Pedder

In the second volume, Peter Wessel Zapffe deepens the study of the tragic, focusing on catastrophes and guilt as central trials of human existence. The author demonstrates, how the external triumphs of civilization can conceal the harbingers of decline and technical disasters, exposing the fragility of mind and spirit in the face of an indifferent reality. Through the prism of phenomenological and legal-ethical analysis, Zapffe shows that any aspiration elevated to greatness contains the germ of a fall: our choices and actions inevitably entail responsibility, which echoes with guilt and consequences. The description of the disaster does not appear as an accident, but as a multi-layered process of collision of values, external forces and fatal triggers, while the style of presentation remains strict and precise, but filled with the poetic power of images. Zapffe urges the reader to accept that every hope carries a shadow of loss, and awareness of vulnerability and one's own responsibility makes facing existential disasters an integral part of understanding the depths of tragic experience. This volume makes us think about the structural foundations of suffering and how legal and ethical frameworks help us understand the tragedy of life in the modern world

Translated from Norwegian and English: Vladislav Pedder

Discover the unknown side of Peter Wessel Zapffe. For the first time in the world, three sensationally found interviews of the great Norwegian pessimist philosopher, hidden in archives for decades. Hear his lively voice: from the early thoughts about suffering that inspired Ligotti, through the "trial of life" to the poignant testament about nihilism as honesty and pessimism towards life. The collection is complemented by five in-depth articles on the connection of his ideas with Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer and Ligotti. This is not just a collection, but a breakthrough in the study of Peter Wessel Zapffe's legacy.

Translated from Norwegian: Vladislav Pedder

The first volume of Peter Wessel Zapffe's fundamental work "On the Tragic" explores the nature of the tragic as the ontological basis of human existence. The author takes the analysis beyond aesthetic and literary categories, considering the tragic as a fundamental property of being generated by the contradiction between human aspirations and indifference.-
the richness of nature. Developing the concepts outlined in the essay "The Last Messiah", as well as relying on biological, psychological and philosophical research, Zapffe demonstrates how the development of consciousness and self-awareness inevitably leads to an awareness of the tragic nature of existence, exposing human vulnerability in the face of existential disasters.

Translated from Norwegian: Vladislav Pedder

Here is the first Russian edition of two key texts by Norwegian philosopher Peter Wessel Zapffe — the essay "The Last Messiah" and the first-time published philosophical dialogue "I Choose the Truth," written in collaboration with Herman Tennesen. Both texts explore the contradiction of human existence, revealing the gap between biological nature and the ability to reflect. Zapffe does not offer solutions, but rather opens his eyes to the deep problems of human existence and self-knowledge.

Translator: Pashtov Islam

The collection contains articles by the classics of Norwegian eco-activism: Z. Zetreng, P. Zapffe and A. Ness. The key theme is concern for wildlife, of which human communities are an organic part, before the onset of an industrial and technological civilization of growth and quantity. Much attention is paid to the philosophical understanding of modernity as hostile to the naturalness of reality. Among them, the classics of ecophilosophy not only share intellectual concepts with the reader, but also encourage practical actions to protect the environment through the relevance of necessary transformations and understanding of their experience.

Beginning with an introduction to Norway’s emphasis on nature and the wild, Reed and Rothenberg explore the birth of the environmental movement in the 1960s and 1970s. What follows is a collection of writings by prominent Norwegian thinkers on humanity and nature, most never before published in English. From Peter Wessel Zapffe, a twentieth-century Kierkegaardian figure, the list goes on to include Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess, activist-critic-artist Sigmund Kvaloy, wilderness educator Nils Faarland, novelist Finn Alneas, sociologist Johan Galtung, and social reformer Erik Dammann. Their fascinating points of view offer thoughts on the significance of modern life and what it means to be human in the face of the deteriorating global environment of the twentieth century. Wisdom in the Open Air asks and answers a fundamental question concerning the ecomovement: what is the role of deep, often abstract, thinking in the attempt to avert a very real ecological crisis?ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0816621828

English edition,
Translator: Ryan L. Showler

The Last Messiah, Italian edition

Dall'estremo nord dell'Europa nel 1933 si rinnovò l'invito socratico a porre sé stessi quale oggetto di conoscenza, chiave di volta di tutto ciò che è pensiero sul mondo. L'invito, a opera di Peter Wessel Zapffe, raggiunse una radicalità impensata per il pur sempre ottimistico pensiero occidentale: la conoscenza di sé ha come conseguenza l'autoestinzione dell'umanità. Se gli esseri umani si conoscessero per quello che sono, cesserebbero di alimentare la Storia e lascerebbero campo libero alla Natura. Questo il messaggio del Messia di Zapffe, messaggio per lo più inascoltato e inascoltabile. Inascoltato a causa dei meccanismi di difesa che sostanziano l'essere umano e, probabilmente, lo rendono ciò che è: isolamento, attaccamento, diversione e sublimazione. Inascoltabile a causa del pregiudizio in favore dell'esistenza, che è sempre un'ipoteca sul futuro e, filosoficamente parlando, un furto.

L'idea centrale di Zapffe è che l'essere umano si trovi in un tragico paradosso: dotato di una coscienza superiore che gli consente di comprendere la propria esistenza, l'uomo è anche condannato a confrontarsi con l'insensatezza del suo essere. Questa "sovracoscienza", come la definisce l'autore, è al tempo stesso un dono e una maledizione, un'arma a doppio taglio che amplifica le sue capacità ma lo espone a un profondo dolore esistenziale. Zapffe osserva che la natura ha dotato ogni creatura di strumenti per affrontare la vita, ma l'uomo, con la sua capacità di riflettere e anticipare il futuro, si trova intrappolato in una consapevolezza che genera angoscia.

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎979-8308324362

Sobre lo trágico, presentada inicialmente como tesis doctoral en 1940 y publicada en 1941, le deparó a su autor, Peter Wessel Zapffe, un lugar entre los más brillantes y notables filósofos del siglo XX.
Esta obra, tan notoria por su pesimismo y tan intimidante por su extensión, ofrece uno de los últimos grandes sistemas del pensamiento filosófico del siglo pasado. En esta cartografía de la posición del ser humano perdido en el cosmos, se descubre que su esencia lo compele a afirmar su singularidad, defendiendo su anhelo de un orden mundial lleno de sentido y de justicia, aun si aquello supone su inevitable fracaso o, incluso, su propia caída. Esta actitud representa la única vía que enaltece al ser humano y le establece cómo puede verdaderamente «ser él mismo». Precisamente en su delimitación del destino trágico de la humanidad, este libro, a las veces obscuro entre líneas, pone de relieve conclusiones tan contundentes que solo podemos imaginar, que tantos pensamos pero que no nos atrevemos a realizar, que tantos ignoramos con tal de que nuestra ilusión de la vida no se desbarate y, con ella, nosotros mismos.
Traducida por primera vez al castellano, la publicación de esta obra supone, a su vez, un intento de instaurarle un lugar condigno en el
ISBN: 978-607-59488-8-1

This book is Peter Wessel Zapffe’s doctoral dissertation, defended in 1941. It examines a trial initiated by a lawyer against 'God,' where the attorney advocates for humanity, presenting a demand for a just world order to the Almighty. The edition includes a name index and an English summary

This volume brings together 49 humorous short stories from Troms and Nordland.

The art of dramatic poetry—its theory, aesthetics, and poetics, along with the art of its reception—forms the subject of dramaturgy. Here, the author provides an introduction to these artistic disciplines while presenting his methodological perspectives. Includes a bibliography.

The author returned to what he considers to be Ness' original intentions in his work "Elementary Questions of Logic" and proposed an alternative presentation of them, adapted as much as possible for readers who are not familiar with the discipline of thinking, which is the main distinguishing feature of logic. The principle is that at each stage the reader can compare their progress with the material they have already learned, relying minimally only on the authoritative words of the teacher.

Peter Wessel Zapffe, a philosopher, scientist, essayist, humorist, publicist, and mountaineer, has been writing for many years about his relationship with nature and his impressions of the mountains. This book contains a rich selection of numerous articles that he published in newspapers, magazines and yearbooks. The author personally illustrated the book with his original drawings, and the descriptions of his life among the peaks and cliffs are imbued with warm humor, which often results in unrestrained fun.
The second half of the book is more serious in nature, although it is written in a light journalistic manner: here Peter V. Zapffe fervently advocates for the protection of nature in general and majestic mountains in particular. Foreword by Arne Ness.

Sunday, May 26, 1822. The parish gathered for a solemn mass. Suddenly, a fire burst [into the church] like heavenly fire. 116 people were victims of the fire. This fire became the starting point for an intense intellectual discussion about deep religious and existential issues and about the central themes of Christianity: punishment and grace, God's justice, wrath and judgment. Four people are arguing about whether the fire was a link in the peaceful plan of a loving God or whether it was a blind accident. There is a list of references.

"The Prodigal Son, a dramatic reinterpretation from 1951, is a drama for reading based on the narrative of the four Gospels about the life of Jesus but based on the audacious theory that Jesus was the son of Herod.
In Dr. Wangel's 1974, we meet Ibsen's characters outside the confines of their plays. In the prologue, the author explains how the meeting took place and what obstacles had to be overcome.

The collection contains texts written and published in the period 1936-77. Among other things, it contains short "meetings" with Ibsen, Kjelland, Ingstad, Amundsen and one poem related to Khrushchev's planned visit to Norway in 1959.

The texts in this collection are taken from the three books indicated in its title. The texts are arranged chronologically and include essays, poems, and epistles that are not included in already published works.

The book contains a selection of texts that reveal Zapffe's versatility: poems, epistles, short stories, essays, and articles about literature, language, humor, mountain climbing, and more. The book includes articles about Zapff by Jens Bjornebu and Sigmund Kvale Setereng, as well as a comprehensive bibliography of Zapff.

A dialogue between Peter Wexel Zapffe and Herman Tennys. In addition to the dialogue, which is an excellent addition to "On the Tragic," the book contains a critical essay by Arne Ness on Tennessen.. This is followed by Tennessean's response to Ness's essay and the book ends with Zapffe's epilogue.
In many ways, the book is a tribute to Tennessean and, as it says in the publisher's address: "At his (Tennessean's) own request, the University Publishing House is releasing these texts as a special mark on his path."

The work consists of two parts: the first part was Fleistad's original text, and the second part was a revised version of Zapffe's essay "On the Tragic" (Om det tragiske).
In 1989, Fleistad published the book "Peter Wessel Zapffe – en introduksjon" ("Peter Wessel Zapffe – an Introduction"), which includes the first part of his early 1969 work.

Mange har et forhold til Zapffe og hans tanker. Samtidig har hans livsutfoldelse, hans samfunnsengasjement og ønske om å bidra og hans humor, for mange stått som et paradoks til hans filosofiske bidrag. Denne mangesidigheten er en av de store facinasjoner ved hans person. Her har 14 personer skrevet om sitt forhold til Zapffe. Med biografiske data.

Mange har et forhold til Zapffe og hans tanker. Samtidig har hans livsutfoldelse, hans samfunnsengasjement og ønske om å bidra og hans humor, for mange stått som et paradoks til hans filosofiske bidrag. Denne mangesidigheten er en av de store facinasjoner ved hans person. Her har 14 personer skrevet om sitt forhold til Zapffe. Med biografiske data.

Better known as a horror fiction author, with Conspiracy Ligotti offers a series of essays exploring his philosophical pessimism, nihilist and antinatalist views. Among other sources, Ligotti cites Peter Wessel Zapffe's essay "The Last Messiah" and the writings of Emil Cioran (1911–1995) and Philipp Mainländer (1841–1876) as inspirations for his philosophical outlook. The book is noted for its repeated usage of the phrase "malignantly useless," as well as for the manner "in which philosophical thought and literary analysis converge" in his writings. In 2018, the book was re-released, with a new preface

Sofia, Avangard Prima, 2019, 522 p. (in English).
Sylvia Serafimova's monograph "In Search of the ‘Helpless Universe’s Captive’" is a comprehensive study of the philosophical legacy of one of the most original Norwegian thinkers of the 20th century, Peter Wessel Zapffe. The book offers an analysis of the key aspects of his multifaceted philosophy, including his biosophy, theory of the tragic, heroism, and catastrophes, as well as his interpretation of religion and morality.
The central focus of the work is Zapffe's concept of biosophy. The author examines in detail the influence of Berkeley's ideas ("esse est percipi") and Uexküll's (the theory of Umwelt) on Zapffe, showing how these sources formed the basis of his teaching on the "four directions of interest" (biological, social, autotelic, and metaphysical).
The book also explores Zapffe's religious views, his analysis of the figures of Jesus, Job, and Judas, as well as his critique of theodicy and his concept of moral anti-theodicy. The author draws parallels with the ideas of Kant and Kierkegaard, emphasizing the uniqueness of Zapffe's approach.

Serafima's list of works mentions: "The Last Messiah. Philosophical Challenges within Peter Wessel Zapffe’s Heritage. Sofia, Avangard Prima, 2020, 495 p. (in Bulgarian)."

Filosofen Peter Wessel Zapffe (1899−1990) tok bilder gjennom nesten hele sitt lange liv, og arkivet etter ham rommer flere tusen fotografier. I denne boka har Christian Belgaux gjort et utvalg som viser en utforskende side ved Zapffes fotokunst. I forordet skriver Belgaux om bildenes åpne tolkningsrom og om kvaliteten ved Zapffes tvetydige billedspråk.
Fotobokserien Sideblikk løfter fram tidsskildringer, oppsiktsvekkende hendelser og hverdagslige øyeblikk hentet fra Nasjonalbibliotekets samling. Bildene er ikke tatt av kjente eller etablerte fotografer, men viser oss det originale blikket og de bemerkelsesverdige omgivelsene til kulturpersonligheter som har satt spor etter seg i norsk historie.

"The Experience of the Tragic" offers a study of the fundamental tragedy of human existence, based on the philosophy of the Norwegian thinker Peter Wessel Zapffe. The central idea is a critical rethinking of Zapffe's views through the concept of "discriminating experience" as the fundamental ontological foundation of reality, as well as the concept of "liminal acceptance" as a way of co-existence with the existential limits of reason.