Angst
A term for intense anxiety, central to existentialist philosophy.
Angst is a term used to describe an intense feeling of apprehension, anxiety, or inner turmoil. It was introduced into English from Danish, Norwegian, and German, and has been attested since the 19th century in English translations of works by Søren Kierkegaard and Sigmund Freud. The word itself has existed in German since the 8th century, deriving from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "restraint," which also gave rise to the Latin words for "tensity" and "choking," as well as the Ancient Greek word for "strangle." Earlier English cognates, such as "ange," existed prior to its adoption as a psychiatric term. In other languages with Latin-derived words for fear, the meanings diverge; for example, the French equivalents differ in connotation.
In existentialist philosophy, angst carries a specific conceptual meaning, first attributed to the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. In his work *The Concept of Anxiety*, Kierkegaard used the Danish word *angst* to describe a profound condition where human beings, unlike animals guided solely by instinct, experience the anxiety of freedom. This is the terror and appeal of understanding one's own power of choice over undefined life possibilities and the immense responsibility that comes with it. Later existentialist philosophers, including Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Martin Heidegger, each developed this idea further. While Kierkegaard’s angst focused on moral freedom within a religious framework, later thinkers applied it to conflicts of personal principles, cultural norms, and existential despair.
Angst also appears in music. In classical composition of the early twentieth century, it emerged both from philosophical developments and as a reflection of war-torn times. Composers whose works are linked with the concept include Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Claude Debussy, Jean Sibelius, Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Francis Poulenc, Dmitri Shostakovich, Béla Bartók, and Krzysztof Penderecki. In popular music, angst began to be discussed in the mid- to late 1950s amid international tensions and nuclear proliferation. Jeff Nuttall’s book *Bomb Culture* traced this angst in popular culture to Hiroshima. It was expressed in folk rock works such as Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” and “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.” The term frequently appears in reference to punk rock, grunge, nu metal, and emo, where expres
- related languages
- Danish, Norwegian, German
Lore & Background
The word angst has existed in German since the 8th century, tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *anghu-, meaning "restraint." This root is pre-cognate with Latin *angustia* ("tensity, tightness") and *angor* ("choking, clogging"), as well as the Ancient Greek verb *ἄγχω* ("strangle"). In English, earlier cognates such as "ange" existed before the 19th-century adoption of angst as a technical term in psychiatry. The concept was first given specific philosophical weight by Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, who used the Danish word *Angest* (or *angst*) to describe a profound condition of dread or anxiety. For Kierkegaard, this angst arises from the human experience of freedom of choice—an appealing yet terrifying awareness of undefined possibilities and the immense responsibility of exercising that power. Unlike non-human animals guided solely by instinct, humans must confront this anxiety. Later existentialist thinkers such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Martin Heidegger developed the idea further, shifting from Kierkegaard’s focus on moral freedom within a religious framework to discussions of personal principles, cultural norms, and existential despair. In the arts, existential angst appears in early twentieth-century classical music as a reflection of philosophical developments and war-torn times, with composers like Gustav Mahler, Arnold Schoenberg, and Dmitri Shostakovich frequently linked to the concept. In popular music, angst became a topic of discussion from the mid-1950s onward, tied to international tensions and nuclear proliferation, and is often referenced in punk rock, grunge, nu metal, and emo, where expressions of melancholy, existential despair, or nihilism predominate.
Reader's Guide
In existentialist philosophy, Kierkegaard used the Danish word Angest (or angst) in The Concept of Anxiety to describe a profound condition arising from human freedom of choice, which is both appealing and terrifying. Later existentialists like Nietzsche, Sartre, and Heidegger developed the idea further, shifting from Kierkegaard's focus on moral freedom within religious belief to conflicts of personal principles, cultural norms, and existential despair. The term also appears in music: classical composers such as Mahler, Strauss, Debussy, and Shostakovich are linked with existential angst, and in popular music from the 1950s onward, angst is discussed in relation to folk rock, punk rock, grunge, nu metal, and emo, often expressing melancholy, existential despair, or nihilism.
Did You Know?
- Angst was introduced into English from Danish, Norwegian, and German.
- The word angst has existed in German since the 8th century.
- Kierkegaard's concept of angst was later taken up by Sartre and Heidegger, though Nietzsche died in 1900 after Kierkegaard's works had already become influential in German-speaking philosophical circles by the 1890s, and
- Angst began to be discussed in reference to popular music in the mid- to late 1950s.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Angst?
Angst is a term for a deep, overwhelming sense of dread, anxiety, or inner unease that goes beyond ordinary worry. It captures a feeling of existential dread rather than a simple fear of a specific threat.
Where does the word Angst come from?
The word entered English from the Scandinavian and Germanic languages, specifically Danish, Norwegian, and German. It was first widely attested in English during the early 20th century through translations of continental thinkers.
Who brought the concept of Angst into English-language thought?
Translations of Søren Kierkegaard's and Sigmund Freud's works in the early 1900s introduced the term to English readers. Kierkegaard is generally credited with giving it its most recognizable philosophical meaning.
What does Angst mean specifically in existentialist philosophy?
In that context, it refers to the anxiety that arises from the weight of human freedom and the necessity of making choices. It is not fear of an external object but a vertigo produced by the open possibility of one's own existence.
Why is Angst considered important in psychology and philosophy?
It sits at the intersection of clinical anxiety and philosophical self-examination, making it a bridge between therapeutic practice and existentialist thought. Understanding it helps distinguish a treatable symptom from a fundamental feature of conscious being.
More in Mental Health & Psychology 1-20
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record