Abstract

This book takes Angst in the face of the abyss as its unifying metaphor. After a historical survey of Angst from ancient religions to Jacob Boehme, David K. Coe goes on to examine critically Angst in Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Sartre, and Tillich. He concludes by summarizing Angst in two modes: as a "reflective apprehension" of a self standing at the abyss (Sartre and Tillich), and as a "pre-reflective apprehension of the abyss itself (Kierkegaard and Heidegger).