Although he purports to give the reader the truth about christianity, he also revokes all he has said in that book. An accessible and original exploration of the theological and philosophical significance of kierkegaards religious thought. The book left me thoroughly confused although i am not sure if this is the impression the kierkegaard s philosophy, personality or the effect of the book format. Do kierkegaards nonpseudonymous writings enable one to. A beginners guide to the philosophy of plato michael s. Google scholar 11 concluding unscientific postscript to the philosophical fragments, 1941, present authors trans. Kierkegaard was a very important danish philosopher of the early 19th century. Thats why sartre attempted to rectify his existentialism with marxism in the late 50s, early 60s. Since then several editions were published by various philanthropic gentlemen for free distribution. Memory, history, forgetting, like its title, is divided into three major sections. Sartre wrote this in his book, search for a method 1960, on the basis that, firstly, kierkegaard never called himself a philosopher.
Kierkegaards christian philosophy may have been rejected by clergy, but he certainly influenced individual christians who became enamored with his theology. Olaf college, faith and philosophy walshs book is a clear, reliable, and erudite guide to a somewhat neglected aspect of kierkegaards. It is possible that had i read more i could understand what kierkegaard tried to say better and how it can be applied to the life s serious questions. Whenever possible, i linked to books with my amazon affiliate code, and as an amazon associate i earn from qualifying purchases. He opposes existential becoming to intellectual re. What you should know about kants ethics in a nutshell.
Kirkconnell notes in his brief introductory chapter that we tend either to read only the pseudonymous works or to read them and the discourses separately from one another. Soren kierkegaard biography soren kierkegaard was born on the 15 th of may 18 in the danish capital copenhagen and into a wealthy and prominent merchant family that already included six children. Kierkegaard is often considered to be the father of existentialism, and for good reason, and one of the ways that kierkegaards existentialism becomes apparent is in his transformation of what were ordinarily considered to be purely aesthetic categories classicism. Here, to begin, are three quotes from the aesthetic man, the either of our eitheror. Adorno argues that kierkegaards philosophy of inwardness ultimately reflects only the bourgeois interior of his time, and that kierkegaard falls into the idealism he sought to escape because, like the existentialists, he fails to follow a concrete historical dialectic. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Kierkegaards views on sin and salvation, kierkegaards epistemology, and kierkegaards philosophy of personhood. Existentialism kierkegaar d3 works the concept of irony, with continual reference to socrates 1841 s. It deals with difficult and complex ideas but the author writes clearly and always with an eye to what the debates can contribute to a. But apart from not liking hegel, he just seems to exemplify most things i dislike in a philosopher. Historical dictionary of kierkegaards philosophy historical dictionaries of religions, philosophies, and movements series watkin, julia on.
An intro for ethics bowlers, second edition by matt deaton, ph. Find out more by reading our book life lessons from kierkegaard we. In kierkegaards relation to hegel reconsidered, jon stewart provides a detailed historical argument which challenges the standard assumption that kierkegaards position was developed in opposition to hegels philosophy, and as such is antithetical to it. Sometimes kierkegaard would publish more than one book on the same day. This book gives an overview of mostly western philosophy, while mentioning some eastern thinkers. Kierkegaard thought that having total faith in god, and thus escaping despair. Jeanpaul sartre wrote that kierkegaard was not a philosopher at all. I would highly recommend this book for those interested in philosophy, existential thought, and of course the work of soren kierkegaard. Youve written several books about kierkegaard, but the most recent one is a biography.
His weakness as a man in personal life colors this book for me. The first from the esthete and the second from the ethicist in eitheror and the third from the book that explained all his previous works. The articles in this volume feature figures from the french, german, spanish and russian traditions of existentialism. The book, along with several others, was contradicting hegelianism, the main german philosophy during his time. Brandes published the first book on kierkegaards philosophy and life, soren kierkegaard, ein literarisches charakterbild. His peculiar authorship comprises a baffling array of different narrative points of view and disciplinary subject matter, including aesthetic novels, works of psychology and christian dogmatics, satirical prefaces, philosophical. Nun design, denmark 12 back chapman street, newcastle upon tyne, ne6 2xx, uk british library cataloguing in publication data. You will explore a brief intro to kierkegaard if youre looking for the philosophers concepts in a nutshell, or if youve read one or two of his books and seek a better understanding of the context in which they were produced. Kierkegaard s point is that our modern world is thoroughly rationalized. The studios youtube channel focuses on minimalist animated educational content, using the flat design style it discusses scientific, technological, political, philosophical and psychological subjects. Narrated by steve taylor, videos on the channel are. Once you know the backstory of regine, you cant help but the let the whole book fall apart like a house of cards. Kierkegaards point is that our modern world is thoroughly rationalized. His fathers death in 1838 spurred him to complete his education, and he finished and defended a dissertation in philosophy, on the concept of irony, with constant reference to socrates, in 1841.
Description and explanation of the major themes of soren kierkegaard 181855. Concluding unscientific postscript to philosophical fragments. These simultaneous books embodied strikingly contrasting. Hegel believed that the evolution of human societies could be explained. Living poetically is a fascinating work on kierkegaard which attempts to illuminate kierkegaards existential aesthetics. Most philosophers biographies are on the boring side. However, in our age, the first form of despair is, perhaps, the most ubiquitous, i. I realize all his books are interconnected as part of his philosophical project, but im sure there s one book he wrote that best conveys his thoughts about philosophy and living. See the additional sources and recommended reading list below, or check the philosophy books page for a full list.
People are bored when they are not being stimulated, either physically or mentally. All schools of ancient philosophy, but especially the stoics, saw ethics as the most important part of scholarship. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. The intensity and passion is rehearsed and blocked out with a professional stage crew, photographers, and media experts. I was wondering if there s a book i should read to get as best an understanding of kierkegaard as possible. Philosophy according to hegel seeks to comprehend the content of christianity conceptually, whereas christian faith according to kierkegaard is an infinite pathos that is evoked and sustained by the paradox of incarnation.
Sartre spent most of his life in paris, where he often went to cafes on the left. There wasnt a great definition of esthetic vs ethical, etc. What are the contributions of soren kierkegaard in philosophy. The authenticity of faith in kierkegaards philosophy, edited by tamar aylatyaguri and jon stewart this book first published 20 cambridge scholars publishing layout and cover design by k. I was wondering if theres a book i should read to get as best an understanding of kierkegaard as possible. Existentialism itself is also an insular philosophy and doctrine, one that is not necessarily always wrapped into the political and greater social issues. Indeed, the book can be a rude awakening to those who think are immune to despair. In the book, kierkegaard seems to suggest that the second form of despair is the most common. By getting back what one has given up, one learns to appreciate it as though for the first time. In 1844, he published philosophical fragments and the concept of anxiety, in 1845 stages of lifes way, and concluding unscientific postscript in 1846. It may extend or lend itself to society and politics, but that is not its primary purpose. In ks view, truth is found through subjectivity, through our individual, unique apprehension of things. An aimless young man drifts through life, obsessed with aesthetics, and seeking sexual fulfillment with a series of women, yet.
Alain stephen have you ever found yourself alone with your thoughts. Generally considered the first relatively modern existentialist if we do not consider existential currents in ancient greek thought, zen, etc. Kierkegaard wrote a book entitled repetition which was published on the same day as fear and trembling. George pattison, kierkegaard s upbuilding discourses. Takes the key philosophers of the period and in clear and accessible language in a clear and structured format explains their key ideas. Soren kierkegaard is an outsider in the history of philosophy. The most comprehensive and authoritative collection of kierkegaard. Soren kierkegaard stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. What is here called crosscultural understanding is itself a kind of compara. Gentagelsen is an 1843 book by soren kierkegaard and published under the pseudonym constantin constantius to mirror its titular theme. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including thinking through philosophy. Kierkegaards interest in movement reflects his ambivalent attitude toward philosophy. Kierkegaards grasp of his own inner life in terms of the question of motion helps to illuminate his personal relationship to his published writings. Take, for instance, the crucial question of the relation between philosophy and religion.
For those unfamiliar with this work by the danish philosopher, either presents what kierkegaard terms the aesthetic view of life. As i read them, kierkegaard s writings can be split into two groups. William mcdonald s article in the stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Kierkegaard wrote under a bunch of pseudonyms, poetically i guess, but turgidly.
Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Emrys westacott is a professor of philosophy at alfred university. The irony of kierkegaard s juxtaposition of the two opposing voices provides a thick layer of indirection that cannot be ignored. The dissertation ends with an epilogue that briefly explores a further area where this comparative approach might provide fruitful results, namely kierkegaards views on collective worship. A fideist is someone who takes religion mostly or entirely on faith, eschews evidence, and relies on his or her subjective experience of god. Still, these texts spoke clearly enough to the european intellectuals of kierkegaard s time to gain wide readership. Soren kierkegaards proposal of repetition as the new category of truth signaled the beginning of existentialist thought, turning philosophical attention from the pursuit of objective knowledge to the movement of becoming that characterizes each individuals. In experiencing repetition, the knight of faith comes to learn that everything that exists exists only by the grace of god.
Just as kierkegaard suggests, it is a cool, reflective, planned, vision of selfdestruction. A perfect starting point for those interested in philosophy but intimidated by tomes. In 1834, he wrote eitheror, repetition, and fear and trembling. He holds it in virtue of being the first to state, in extended and more or less modern form, the case against rationalism in. See all supported devices similar books to kierkegaards writings, xii, volume i.
Michael strawsers book, kierkegaard and the philosophy of love, is an important contribution to understanding the universal human experience of love. Kierkegaard, soren internet encyclopedia of philosophy. A landmark work in philosophy, paul ricoeurs memory, history, forgetting examines this reciprocal relationship between remembering and forgetting, showing how it affects both the perception of historical experience and the production of historical narrative. I like philosophers who tell you what they think in a clear and straightforward manner. Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download. The specific concept of narrative in african philosophy and its value for crosscultural understanding will surface often and be developed in several ways throughout the book. Kierkegaard is often critical of the poetic, for example, for leading the self out into a realm of infinite possibility in which it abandons actuality which is a form of despair for kierkegaard this, in a nutshell, is kierkegaards critique of romanticism. Self deception and cowardice in the present age mullen, john on.
I thought i would get more about faith in this book, but its sort of just a guy dealing with the fact that he doesnt want to love a woman, which is weird. Jun 26, 2015 soren kierkegaard is useful to us because of the intensity of his despair at the compromises and cruelties of daily life. Reason and faith in kierkegaard 1 in the long line of lutheran theologians stretching from luther himself to brunner, barth, and bultmann, kierkegaard holds a unique place. Ethics in a nutshell national high school ethics bowl. Kierkegaard and the philosophy of love reading religion. It deals with difficult and complex ideas but the author writes clearly and always with an eye to what the debates can contribute to a better understand of everyday life. I have read primarily the pseudonymous works eitheror, concluding unscientific postscript, fear and trembling and a few other bits and pieces including the book on adler and the two ages. Constantin investigates whether repetition is possible, and the book includes his experiments and his relation to a nameless patient known only as the young man. Kierkegaard can only carry faith so far, as i feel like he is focusing on the discourse and indoctrinated in the theological discipline. This book is an attempt to read kierkegaards early pseudonymous writings in the light of his early nonpseudonymous upbuilding discourses, and vice versa. Kierkegaard wrote several books and publications which remain in the library collection of existentialism philosophy. Philosophy, theology, literature routledge, 2002 additional online information about kierkegaard includes. His father was a firmly committed to a strict approach to faith and life and sought to ensure that his family would grow up within a firmly lutheran household. The work with the greatest impact, and therefore most important in one conception of the term, is fear and trembling, as many commenters have noted.
Kierkegaard published his first major book, eitheror, in 1843 and his last. This book covers the basic framework of what youd likely learn. Jurisprudence, legal philosophy, in a nutshell book, 1993. Autorisirte deutsche ausg 1879 which adolf hult said was a misconstruction of kierkegaards work and falls far short of the truth. Boredom, anxiety, and despair are the human psyche s major problems, and kierkegaard spends most of his writing diagnosing these three ills. Have you ever been asked if the glass is half full or half empty. An aimless young man drifts through life, obsessed with aesthetics, and seeking sexual fulfillment with a series of women, yet never making substantive choices or real commitments. Mormonism has a host of aberrant doctrines, such as god once being a man on another planet who has a goddess wife and that we can become gods and goddesses. They examine the use of kierkegaard by the later thinkers and critically analyze his role in this movement. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Howard and edna hong first translated kierkegaards journals and papers into english for which they won the national book award in 1968.
With helpful summaries of the main philosophical concepts, biographies of key individuals, and a few words on their relevance today, it provides an essential introduction to classical philosophy. Soren kierkegaard biography philosophy existentialism. It contains ideas such as the leap that is faith, the knights of infinite resignation and faith, t. The authenticity of faith in kierkegaards philosophy. In the late 1930s, walter lowrie discovered kierkegaard and together with david swenson, awakened the englishspeaking world to kierkegaards significance.
Do you wonder what true happiness is or how to attain it. The site thus covers the main philosophical traditions, from the presocratic to the contemporary philosophers, while trying to bring a philosophical reading to the cultural field in general, such as cinema, literature, politics or music. Classical philosophy in a nutshell explains the key ideas of the great philosophers of antiquity in an accessible, easy to understand format. Kierkegaard for beginners and millions of other books are available for. Kierkegaards narrative is an existential humanist plot outline named after the danish philosopher soren kierkegaard.
Rather than attempting a metaphysics on the nature of love as an abstract concept, which has often been the task of theologians and philosophers, strawser takes a phenomenological approach to the consciousness of the lover and beloved. For a fuller exposition of the subjects dealt with here, readers are kindly requested to read the revised and enlarged edition of the buddha and his teachings published in 1980. Kierkegaard was a christian, specifically a fideist. This accessible literary criticism is perfect for anyone faced with soren kierkegaard 181855 essays, papers, tests, exams, or for anyone who needs to create a soren kierkegaard 181855 lesson plan.
These terms need to be clearly defined for those who havent taken the intro to philosophy course. May, 2009 this book is an attempt to read kierkegaard s early pseudonymous writings in the light of his early nonpseudonymous upbuilding discourses, and vice versa. Whilst nietzsches most famous insights are sociological, and can be understood without having a deep metaphysical insight into nietzsches philosophy, i think it would be helpful to take a look at what technical vantage point nietzsche is writing. He completed his doctoral dissertation in 1840 that he entitled the concept of irony. Heres what you should know about kants ethics in a nutshell. The author brings an extraordinary level of philosophical sophistication and rhetorical flair to this work, and the result is a fascinating book that will appeal to scholars of philosophy and religion in a variety of fields ranging from ethics and literature, to theology and postmodernism. Kierkegaards narrative the pop culture philosopher. Constantin investigates whether repetition is possible, and the book includes his experiments and his. His father, a navy captain, died when he was a baby and he grew up extremely close to his mother until she remarried, much to his regret, when he was twelve. Soren kierkegaard is useful to us because of the intensity of his despair at the compromises and cruelties of daily life.