General Psychopathology: Karl Jaspers

Abstract

There is an apocryphal saying that in order to pass the membership examination of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Jaspers' name should be invoked at some stage, preferably being followed by a comment as to the great significance of hisGeneral Psychopathology(Jaspers, 1963) and of how much is lost in translation. Underlying these sentiments is the suggestion that Jaspers is held by trainees in a mixture of esteem and uncertainty. Undoubtedly, although its importance is often stressed, the content ofGeneral Psychopathologyis less widely known, with the length, complexity and discursiveness of the book making it an intimidating work to read and to understand. However, its position as the undisputed bible of phenomenology and psychopathology means it cannot be ignored. Shepherd (1982) reconsideredGeneral Psychopathologyin theBritish Journal of Psychiatry, and other articles testify to the continuing interest which the book arouses among eminent philosopher/psychiatrists (e.g. Spitzer, 1988; Walker, 1988). In contrast, this paper gives a trainee's perspective on Jaspers' work and is intended to be of interest to others who may be reluctant to approach it.