Anxiety: Its Meaning and Measurement

Charles D. Spielberger & Eric C. Reheiser

Anxiety emerged as a central problem and a predominant theme of modern life in the 20th century, which the French author Albert Camus referred to as “the century of fear” (May, 1950/1977). The Age of Anxiety was the title of both Leonard Bernstein's Second Symphony and a poetic work by W. H. Auden (May, 1950/1977). Inspired by Bernstein's music and Auden's poem, Jerome Robbins choreographed a contemporary ballet, which he also titled the Age of Anxiety (Mason, 1954). The significant impact of anxiety in literature, music, art, and religion, as well as in psychoanalysis, psychiatry, and psychology, was cogently described by Rollo May (1950/1977) in his classic book, The Meaning of Anxiety . May also documents concern with anxiety in the philosophical work of Pascal, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and, especially, Kierkegaard and Spinoza, who considered fear to be a state of mind characterized by the expectation that something painful or unpleasant ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.