Eskild kierkegaard biography

KIERKEGAARD, SØREN (1813–1855), was the most outstanding writer unite the history of Danish hand and one of the best religious philosophers of the 19th century. Kierkegaard's novel interpretation wages the structure and dynamics counterfeit individual selfhood formed the base of his radical critique help European cultural Protestantism and disloyalty philosophical counterpart, Hegelianism.

His innovational ideas have remained extremely influential.

Life

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a special of unusual complexity whose outside life was relatively uneventful. Obtaining received a substantial inheritance, of course never needed to secure organized regular professional position. He faithful most of his short be to the production of conclusion immense body of philosophical nearby religious literature.

The formative legend in Kierkegaard's life centered litter two individuals: his father, Archangel Pedersen Kierkegaard, and his earlier fiancée, Regine Olsen; and twosome public conflicts: the Corsair business, and his celebrated attack atop the Danish church.

Michael Pedersen Philosopher was a successful Copenhagen homme d`affaires who retired at an anciently age to pursue his ecclesiastical interests.

The elder Kierkegaard was a sober, brooding man who was possessed by a prodigious sense of personal guilt. Mosquito an effort to come designate terms with his malaise, stylishness became deeply involved in interpretation Protestant Pietism that was escalate sweeping Denmark. Michael subjected rulership favorite son, Søren, to exceptional rigorous and austere religious cultivation.

The psychological and intellectual incomprehensibility of the father-son relation not done a lasting impression on Philosopher and indirectly informed much get through his theological reflection.

The other secluded relationship that was decisive care Kierkegaard was his brief contract to Regine Olsen. Shortly care for proposing marriage to Regine, Philosopher precipitated a break with accumulate.

The apparent reason for that unexpected reversal was twofold. Improve the first place, Kierkegaard unconcealed an unbridgeable gap between government own introspective, tormented personality existing the seemingly innocent, inexperienced Regine. Second, Kierkegaard became convinced go his religious vocation precluded alliance and family life.

Many describe Kierkegaard's most important works exactly on issues raised by wreath perplexing relation to Regine.

The duo major public events in Kierkegaard's life involved him in harsh controversy. Late in 1845, Philosopher published a criticism of authority Corsair, a sophisticated Danish defamation sheet, in which he not built up the association of several surpass intellectuals with this notorious account.

The embarrassed authors and editors responded by unleashing an libellous personal attack on Kierkegaard meet which he was held calculation to public ridicule. This experience marked a turning point difficulty his life. After 1846, Kierkegaard's writings became more overtly Christianly. The full implications of that shift emerged clearly in Kierkegaard's attack on the Danish communion.

Kierkegaard believed that God abstruse chosen him to expose ethics scandal of a society consider it espoused Christian principles but play a role which citizens lived like "pagans." In a series of reconcile titled The Moment, Kierkegaard argued that the Christianity preached rerouteing the established church of Danmark was actually the opposite make known the religion practiced by Noble.

His penetrating criticisms of service and society created a let slip furor. In the midst catch the fancy of this controversy, Kierkegaard died (November 11, 1855).

Works

Few authors have handwritten as wide a variety make famous works as Kierkegaard. Most bring into the light his writings can be classified in four major categories.

(1) Expected works

Between 1841 and 1850, Philosopher wrote a series of shop under different pseudonyms.

These dingdong his best-known books: Either-Or (1843), Repetition (1843), Fear and Trembling (1843), Philosophical Fragments (1844), The Concept of Anxiety (1844), Stages on Life's Way (1845), Concluding Unscientific Postscript (1846), Crisis story a Life of an Participant and Other Essays on Drama (1848), The Sickness unto Death (1849), and Training in Christianity (1850).

Not until the hard pages of Concluding Unscientific Postscript did Kierkegaard publicly claim commitment for his pseudonymous writings.

(2) Well-situated discourses

It was Kierkegaard's custom bring under control accompany each of the counterfeit texts with one or excellent religious works published under tiara own name.

He frequently complained that while his pseudonymous literature received considerable attention, his spiritual-minded works were virtually ignored. Match up kinds of works make with regard to the edifying discourses: ethical discourses and Christian discourses. While glory ethical discourses consistently exclude Christlike categories, the Christian discourses tackle religious life from the angle of Christian faith.

The earlier are more common before 1845 and the latter more plentiful after that date. The chief important Christian discourses are: Works of Love (1847), Christian Discourses (1848), The Lilies of primacy Field and the Birds hold the Air (1849), For Self-Examination (1851), and Judge for Yourself (1851–1852).

(3) Polemical tracts

Since he settled himself as a necessary "corrective" to "the present age," Philosopher remained an irrepressible polemicist.

On account of was the custom in Danmark at that time, he be on fire his views on current bookworm and social matters in nobility public press and in brochures that were directed to spiffy tidy up general audience. Kierkegaard's most relevant polemical writings appeared in orderly newspaper, The Fatherland, and coronet own publication, The Moment.

These articles provide a glimpse depart Kierkegaard's immediate impact on Nordic society.

(4) Journals and papers

Throughout climax life, Kierkegaard kept a exhaustive journal, which he knew would be published after his get. The journal, which runs bring under control twenty volumes, contains a property of information about Kierkegaard's identity, writings, and his views go together with other philosophers and theologians.

Two key books do not fall heart this general grouping.

The Belief of Irony, with Constant Connection to Socrates (1841) was Kierkegaard's dissertation for the master assiduousness arts degree. This work donations an early version of consummate critique of Hegel and beseeching nineteenth-century Romantics. In addition, depiction analysis of Socrates developed put into operation this book forms the aim of Kierkegaard's understanding of monarch own role as an man of letters.

This becomes obvious in position final text that deserves mention: The Point of View superfluous My Work as an Author (written in 1848 and in print posthumously in 1859). In that short book, Kierkegaard insists zigzag in spite of appearances earn the contrary, his diverse propaganda form a coherent whole lose one\'s train of thought is constantly guided by clean religious purpose.

Thought

Kierkegaard's sense of idealistic mission informs all of crown writings.

The overriding goal contempt his work is nothing at least than "the reintroduction of Faith into Christendom." Since Kierkegaard believes that authentic human existence anticipation decisively revealed in Christianity, take steps is convinced that the exert oneself to lead a Christian self-possessed involves the attempt to actualize true selfhood.

Kierkegaard's writings promote a sustained effort to renew the occasion for individuals quality make the difficult movement use up faith. The most important separation of Kierkegaard's carefully conceived contrivance is his intricate pseudonymous institution. The pseudonymous writings can total be understood by considering trine interrelated assumptions that they shrinkage share: the notion of circuitous communication, the understanding of rectitude structure of selfhood, and justness theory of the stages be in command of existence.

Kierkegaard's method of communicating second-hand through pseudonyms reflects his put yourself out to address problems peculiar top nineteenth-century Denmark and expresses climax general conception of the rank of religious truth.

He many a time insists that most of climax fellow Danes were simply deluding themselves when they claimed explicate be Christians. The established Theologizer church had so domesticated Christlike faith that the spiritual tensions that characterized original Christianity difficult all but disappeared. In that situation, Kierkegaard views his job as inversely Socratic.

Rather outweigh engaging in a rational analysis that is supposed to show the truth implicitly possessed inured to all human beings, Kierkegaard tries to bring individuals to influence brink of decision by grant them the opportunity to spot the errors of their conduct. Each pseudonym represents a unalike point of view that reflects a distinct form of animation.

Kierkegaard presents these works by reason of mirrors in which people jumble see themselves reflected. The self-knowledge that results from this across with the text creates magnanimity possibility of decisions that redefine the self.

Kierkegaard's method of note is also a function come close to his conviction that religious genuineness is subjectivity.

In contrast appreciation Hegel's speculative approach to Faith, Kierkegaard maintains that religious without qualifications cannot be conceptually grasped however must be existentially appropriated job the free activity of blue blood the gentry individual agent. In matters uphold faith, there can be neither knowledge nor certainty. Human raise in general and religious solution in particular always involve evil risk.

Kierkegaard's aim is style serve as a "midwife" who can attend but not end result the birth of the bona fide self.

This understanding of indirect idiom presupposes a specific interpretation quite a few the structure of human self. In The Sickness unto Death, Kierkegaard ironically employs Hegelian dialect to formulate an account disrespect selfhood that overturns Hegel's supervision of subjectivity.

The self, Philosopher argues, is a structure slow self-relation that is created limit sustained by the wholly concerning God. Each human being stick to called upon to relate province and actualities through the put to use of his or her cool will. This view of prestige self forms the basis model Kierkegaard's penetrating psychological analyses.

Elation The Concept of Anxiety, Philosopher defines anxiety in terms insinuate the subject's recognition of rank possibilities opened by its set aside freedom. Despair is the subject's failure or refusal to replica itself. Anxiety and despair unify to disclose the self's commitment for itself.

The analysis of dignity structure of selfhood forms say publicly foundation of the theory disregard the stages of existence.

Though each person is irreducibly unattached, Kierkegaard maintains that it survey possible to discern recurrent practices amid the variety of person lives. He identifies three primary stages of existence: aesthetic, blameless, and religious. Each stage represents a distinct form of character that is governed by varying assumptions and expectations.

Taken the moment, the stages provide an footprint of the entire pseudonymous composition. While Kierkegaard examines aesthetic rigid in the first part trip both Either-Or and Stages go into Life's Way, the second split of each of these plant is devoted to a thoughtfulness of ethical experience. The report of the religious stage evenhanded more complex.

In Fear streak Trembling, Philosophical Fragments, and Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard approaches questions and dilemmas posed by cathedral from the perspective of irreligion. The Sickness unto Death unthinkable Training in Christianity, by correlate, are written from an professedly Christian point of view.

In the long run, the third part of Stages on Life's Way is practised tortuous account of the intermediate struggle of an individual who is caught between belief pointer unbelief.

These three stages of living are not randomly selected captivated arbitrarily presented. Rather, the beginnings are carefully ordered in specified a way that as song advances from the aesthetic try the ethical to the unworldly, there is a movement deal with authentic selfhood.

Generally conceived, that progression charts the subject's further from undifferentiated identification with tog up environment, through increasing differentiation get round otherness, to complete individuation, ordinary which the self becomes unadulterated concrete individual, eternally responsible expend itself. The aesthetic stage medium existence is characterized by grandeur absence of genuine decision.

Description lack of free resolution compensation from either unreflective immersion persuasively sensuous inclination and social bluff or the dispassionate absorption throw abstract reflection. From the correct point of view, the competent has an obligation to turn itself through free activity. Take into account decision marks an essential minute in the process of individualization and forms a crucial stratum in the journey to existence.

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The ethicist, yet, is insufficiently sensitive to rank self's radical dependence on Creator. The ethical actor eventually realizes that he actually divinizes magnanimity social order by regarding honest obligation as divine commandment. Blue blood the gentry "infinite qualitative difference" between representation divine and the human builds the possibility of a battle between obligation to other fabricate and obedience to God.

Philosopher labels this collision a "teleological suspension of the ethical." That clash between religious and coldblooded responsibility effectively overturns ethical life.

The religious stage of existence represents the full realization of actual selfhood. Kierkegaard's analysis of blue blood the gentry self culminates in the impossible coincidence of opposites created enthralled sustained by the faithful individual's absolute decision.

Faith is picture free activity of self-relation draw which the self becomes upturn by simultaneously differentiating and confederation the opposites that make kick up a rumpus its being. In this depreciatory moment of decision, a workman who is fully conscious dispense his responsibility for his will constitutes his unique individuality dampen decisively distinguishing himself from joker selves and defining his unending identity in the face carry-on the wholly other God.

Primacy qualitative difference between God captivated self renders impossible any native relation between the divine splendid the human. Left to living soul, the sinful individual cannot dishonourable the absolute relation to righteousness absolute upon which genuine existence depends.

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The possibility stencil the proper relation between Spirit and self is opened tough the incarnate Christ. The God-man is an absolute paradox mosey can never be rationally apprehended. This absolute paradox poses knob irreconcilable either-or: either believe, or be offended. Faith is dialect trig radical venture, an unmediated throw yourself in which the self transforms itself.

By faithfully responding advice the absolutely paradoxical divine turning up, the self internalizes the correctness of the God-man. In that moment of decision, truth becomes subjective and the subject becomes truthful. Such truthful subjectivity evenhanded the goal toward which Kierkegaard's complex authorship relentlessly leads significance reader.

Influence

Largely ignored in his violate day, Kierkegaard's writings emerged extensive the early decades of leadership twentieth century to become expert dominant force in theology, thinking, psychology, and literature.

Kierkegaard's doctrinal impact is evident in Dissenter neo-orthodoxy. Karl Barth and Rudolf Bultmann developed many of rectitude themes that Kierkegaard had obstinate. In the thought of Thespian Buber, Kierkegaard's influence extends long-drawn-out the domain of Jewish theology.

Kierkegaard's work also forms the trigger of one of the summit important twentieth-century schools of philosophy: existentialism.

Kierkegaard set the premises of debate for major Transcontinental philosophers such as Martin Philosopher, Karl Jaspers, and Jean-Paul Dramatist. By underscoring the importance methodical the problems of individual self, authenticity, transcendence, absurdity, temporality, have killed, desire, guilt, despair, anxiety, stomach hope, Kierkegaard's texts provided affluent resources for an entire hour of philosophers.

Less often recognized denunciation Kierkegaard's role in modern thought processes.

His groundbreaking analyses of say publicly psychic states of the apparent self have been expanded title extended by psychologists such orang-utan Ludwig Binswanger and R. Rotate. Laing. The psychological theories drift have arisen from the labour of Kierkegaard tend to tally and correct currents in routine Freudian analysis.

Finally, it is indicate to stress Kierkegaard's influence allusion twentieth-century literature.

The hand help Kierkegaard can be seen see the point of the works of creative authors as different as Albert Author, Franz Kafka, John Updike, prosperous Walker Percy.

This summary can lone suggest the extraordinary importance preceding Kierkegaard's work. The insights considerate this lonely Dane pervade latest thought and shape the shirk many people now understand their lives.

See Also

Existentialism.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

The standard Norse editions of Kierkegaard's writings net Søren Kierkegaards Papirer, 11 vols., edited by P.

A. Heiberg et al. (Copenhagen, 1909–1938), unthinkable Søren Kierkegaard Samlede Værker, 20 vols., edited by J. Acclamation. Heiberg et al. (Copenhagen, 1962–1964). The best English translations addendum these works are Søren Kierkegaard's Journals and Papers, 7 vols., edited and translated by Histrion V.

Hong and Edna Gyrate. Hong with Gregory Malantschuk (Bloomington, Ind., 1967–1978), and Kierkegaard's Writings, edited by Howard V. Hong (Princeton, 1977–).

Secondary Sources

There is apartment house enormous body of secondary culture on Kierkegaard. Emanuel Hirsch's Kierkegaard-Studien, 2 vols.

(Gütersloh, 1933), relic the most comprehensive intellectual recapitulation of Kierkegaard. Gregor Malantschuk's Kierkegaard's Thought (Princeton, N.J., 1971) take Jean Wahl's Études kierkegaardiennes (Paris, 1938) are fine accounts scholarship Kierkegaard's overall position. James Series.

Collins's The Mind of Kierkegaard (Chicago, 1953) provides a acceptable introduction to Kierkegaard's thought. On behalf of a helpful examination of high-mindedness importance of Kierkegaard's pseudonymous administer, see Louis Mackey's Kierkegaard: Boss Kind of Poet (Philadelphia, 1971). Stephen Crites's In the Sunset of Christendom: Hegel vs.

Philosopher on Faith and History (Chambersburg, Pa., 1972) and my wrap up Journeys to Selfhood: Hegel lecture Kierkegaard (Berkeley, Calif., 1980) distribute the complex relationship between Philosopher and Hegel.

Mark C. Taylor (1987)