Moral Implications of Karl Jaspers' Existentialism

Abstract

Although the Existentialists did not propose an explicit ethics in their philosophical writings, one can find a considerable number of moral implications in their philosophy; these moral features function as a normative framework in their existential thought. The intention of this article is to point out some implicit ideas of Jaspers' existentialism that are relevant from a moral point of view. I will not discuss metaphysical aspects of Jaspers' philosophy that are mainly interesting from the point of view of philosophy of religion and metaphysics, concepts such as transcendence, absolute consciousness, unity, or the concept of cipher or symbol in connection with transcendence.'