他获得1908年度诺贝尔文学奖，是继特奥多尔·蒙森之后又一位文学圈外获奖者。奥肯作为哲家家获得诺贝尔文学奖，除了他在哲学上享有世界性声誉的成就外，还得助于瑞典皇家科学家及其同事们。

奥伊肯把自己的哲学称为“精神生活哲学”，在哲学史上属于生命哲学的一类，与狄尔泰、亨利·柏格森等相并。
他认为哲学不应以抽象概念为中心，应该以活生生的生命或生活为中心。而生命或生活是一个进化的过程，初级阶段是自然生活，高级阶段是精神生活，精神生活在本质上是伦理的，包括现实的理想与目的在内，人格就是它的属性。其最高境界是将个人的精神与隐伏在人类历史过程中的精神生活系统和统摄宇宙的精神统一起来。这种统一就是超越自身，超越自下而上的此时此地，由被束缚、被动的生活进入向自自主的生活。

人生的意义就是不断克服自然与精神、个体与总体的矛盾，使之不断走向二者的统一，成就崇高的人格。这一切创造和进化的过程，从根本上来说，都是由来自宇宙的生命推动力决定的。

奥伊肯想以“精神生活哲学”来统一、整合哲学史上自然主义与理智主义、唯物与唯心的对立，但它在本质上仍然是从主观出发的唯心论。

Human evolution is, no mereunwinding of thread from a reel: it is a creative work in which manis a co-worker.

Eucken seeks to bring into the apparently almosthopeless chaos of modern life and thought a positive, unifying metaphysical principle a principle that embraces all the different departments of human life and interest, scientific and religious, practical and theoretical, artistic and moral, and endeavours to assign to each its function in the task of the whole.

It will be found that all the following essays are inspired and connected by the central convictions thus imperfectly sketched. The historical contributions are not mere records of past opinions. They are animated by a deep conviction that man's intellectual, moral andreligious life is an ever-growing and ever deepening possession, and that every great and sincere thinker contributes something to the advancement of the whole not withstanding the popular belief that the history of philosophy is a mere record of transitory opinions.

The serious student of Eucken will do well, I think, to read with especial care the two essays dealing with Goethe and with Concepts( Nos. XV and XIX). The relationship between the great poet's ideasand the philosophy of Activism is very intimate, despite important differences.

This life sustains the entire structure ofthe universe, from inanimate matter up to the highest manifestations of man's intelligence and personality.
Logic,mathematics, science, art, law, morality and religion are all modes of manifestation of this central life. Man is essentially aspiritual being, and a partaker in the originative and eternalreality; yet at the same time he is largely immersed in the life ofnature ( which is looked upon asa lower and unevolved stage ofreality), and in order to realise his own being he must endeavour to ascend towards the higher levels of reality.
But this cannot be done without effort and activity, without a pressing forward and anovercoming of resistance.
Hence the term Activism. All our human faculties intellectual, esthetic, practical,ethical and religious find their only true function in promotingthis ascent in the scale of being.
Viewed from the standpoint of Eucken's philosophy, human existence is one vast process of therealisation and appropriation of spiritual reality. A unity and ameaning is thus imparted to the whole. All the difficulties andantitheses of our life ultimately subserve this great purpose.
It is of the utmost importance, however, to bear in mind that this process is not automatic. Man's active participation is essential to the movement of elevation.