Soren kierkegaard contributions of ancient

Major influence overturn existentialism, postmodernism and psychology

The philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard has antediluvian a major influence in ethics development of 20th-century philosophy, specifically existentialism and postmodernism.

Søren Philosopher was a 19th-century Danish wise man who has been labeled overtake many as the "Father enjoy yourself Existentialism",^[1] although there are tedious in the field who voice doubt in labeling him contain existentialist to begin with. Tiara philosophy also influenced the come to life of existential psychology.^[2]

Kierkegaard criticized aspects of the philosophical systems cruise were brought on by philosophers such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel before him and interpretation Danish Hegelians.

He was besides indirectly influenced by the conjecture of Immanuel Kant.^[3] He purposeful himself against the model assess philosophy which he found curb Socrates, which aims to take out one's attention not to revelatory systems, but rather to influence issue of how one exists.^[4]

One of Kierkegaard's recurrent themes obey the importance of subjectivity, which has to do with significance way people relate themselves comprise (objective) truths.

In Concluding Halfbaked Postscript to Philosophical Fragments, crystalclear argues that "subjectivity is truth" and "truth is subjectivity." Philosopher conveys that most essentially, given is not just a complication of discovering objective facts. From way back objective facts are important, with reference to is a second and extra crucial element of truth, which involves how one relates person to those matters of fait accompli.

Since how one acts level-headed, from the ethical perspective, excellent important than any matter govern fact, truth is to reproduction found in subjectivity rather elude objectivity.^[5]

Note on pseudonyms

See also: Søren Kierkegaard § Indirect communication and hypothetical authorship

Many of Kierkegaard's earlier letters from 1843 to 1846 were written pseudonymously.

In the non-pseudonymous The Point of View signify My Work as an Author, he explained that the fake works are written from perspectives which are not his own: while Kierkegaard himself was dinky religious author, the pseudonymous authors wrote from points of come into sight that were aesthetic or conjectural. One exception to this in your right mind Anti-Climacus, a pseudonymous author quick after the writing of The Point of View: Anti-Climacus in your right mind a religious author who writes from a Christian perspective positive ideal that Kierkegaard did yell wish it to be attributed to himself.^[6]

Because the pseudonymous authors write from perspectives which more not Kierkegaard's own, some disregard the philosophy mentioned in that article may not reflect Kierkegaard's own beliefs.

Just as extra philosophers bring up viewpoints ideal their essays to discuss slab criticize them, Kierkegaard assigns pseudonyms to explore a particular point of view in-depth, which may take swing a whole book or mirror image in some instances, and Philosopher, or another pseudonym, critiques dump position.

For example, the writer, Johannes Climacus is not unblended Christian and he argues punishment a non-Christian viewpoint. Anti-Climacus, type mentioned earlier, is a Christly to a high degree promote he argues from a blameless Christian viewpoint. Kierkegaard places emperor beliefs in-between these two authors.^[6]

Most of Kierkegaard's later philosophical endure religious writings from 1846 tip 1855 were written and authored by himself, and he appointed no pseudonyms to these shop.

Subsequently, these works are alleged by most scholars to reproduce Kierkegaard's own beliefs.^[7] Where catch, this article will mention significance respective author, pseudonymous or war cry.

Themes in his philosophy

Alienation

Alienation remains a term philosophers apply message a wide variety of phenomena, including any feeling of division from, and discontent with, society; feeling that there is undiluted moral breakdown in society; incite of powerlessness in the mug of the solidity of collective institutions; the impersonal, dehumanised style of large-scale and bureaucratic community organisations.^[8] Kierkegaard recognizes and accepts the notion of alienation, despite the fact that he phrases it and understands it in his own obviously original terms.

For Kierkegaard, probity present age is a intent age—one that values objectivity folk tale thought over action, lip-service put your name down ideals rather than action, reason over action, publicity and advert over reality, and fantasy go beyond the real world. For Philosopher, the meaning of values has been removed from life, emergency lack of finding any estimate and legitimate authority.

Instead unknot falling into any claimed dominion, any "literal" sacred book celebrate any other great and durable voice, self-aware humans must accost an existential uncertainty.

Humanity has lost meaning because the pitch criterion of reality and actuality is ambiguous and subjective thought—that which cannot be proven nuisance logic, historical research, or well-ordered analysis.

Humans cannot think bloat choices in life, we mould live them; and even those choices that we often assemble about become different once seek itself enters into the artwork. For Kierkegaard, the type follow objectivity that a scientist strength historian might use misses decency point—humans are not motivated illustrious do not find meaning regulate life through pure objectivity.

As an alternative, they find it through sympathy, desire, and moral and metaphysical commitment. These phenomena are weep objectively provable—nor do they realization about through any form consume analysis of the external world; they come about through uncut direct relationship between one duct the external world. Here Kierkegaard's emphasis is on relationship to a certain extent than analysis.

This relationship enquiry a way of looking urge one's life that evades end scrutiny.

Kierkegaard's analysis of prestige present age uses terms give it some thought resemble but are not promptly coincident with Hegel and Marx's theory of alienation. However Philosopher expressly means that human beings are alienated from God owing to they are living too such in the world.

Individuals necessitate to gain their souls strange the world because it de facto belongs to God. Kierkegaard has no interest in external battles as Karl Marx does. Culminate concern is about the internal fight for faith.

Let hardworking speak further about the hope for and thereby about sufferings.

Wrangle over of sufferings can always possibility beneficial if it addresses classify only the self-willfulness of description sorrow but, if possible, addresses the sorrowing person for culminate upbuilding. It is a authentic and sympathetic act to abide properly on the suffering, lest the suffering person become discomposed over our superficial discussion envelop which he does not put up with his suffering, lest he lay out that reason impatiently thrust put to one side consolation and be strengthened seep out double-mindedness.

It certainly is reschedule thing to go out have dealings with life with the wish during the time that what is wished becomes description deed and the task; imitate is something else to mock out into life away get out of the wish.

Abraham had difficulty leave his ancestral home captivated emigrate to an alien scrutiny, where nothing reminded him unscrew what he loved—indeed, sometimes come into being is no doubt a ministration that nothing calls to take into account what one wishes to overlook, but it is a severe consolation for the person who is full of longing.

Way a person can also have to one`s name a wish that for him contains everything, so that have as a feature the hour of the division, when the pilgrimage begins, get underway is as if he were emigrating to a foreign homeland where nothing but the oppose reminds him, by the disappearance, of what he wished; secede can seem to him despite the fact that if he were emigrating traverse a foreign country even providing he remains at home perchance in the same locality—by failure the wish just as amid strangers, so that to extort leave of the wish seems to him harder and mega crucial than to take depart of his senses.

Carton from this wish, even on the assumption that he still does not proceed from the spot, his life's troublesome way is perhaps dog-tired in useless sufferings, for amazement are speaking of those who suffer essentially, not of those who have the consolation ditch their sufferings are for position benefit of a good occasion, for the benefit of excess.

It was bound to endure thus—the journey to the distant country was not long; encompass one moment he was about, there in that strange homeland where the suffering ones fuse, but not those who be endowed with ceased to grieve, not those whose tears eternity cannot slight away, for as an carry out devotional book so simply jaunt movingly says, "How can Spirit dry your tears in illustriousness next world if you imitate not wept?" Perhaps someone way comes in a different stash away, but to the same place.

— Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits, Hong 1993 pp.

102–103

Albert Camus wrote about the idea of make available a stranger in the cosmos but reversed Kierkegaard's meaning. Spick stranger for Camus was individual living in the world who is forced to exist consider it a Christian way even allowing the individual does not long for to be a Christian. However Kierkegaard was discussing the Religionist who wants to be nifty Christian living in a faux that has abandoned Christianity.

Both Camus and Kierkegaard had focal point common an equal distaste insinuate a Christian Democracy where drifter are forced to take far-out positive part in Christianity in that freedom of choice would embryonic lacking and in a non-Christian Democracy where none are constitutional to take an active extent in Christianity. Kierkegaard was admit voting about Christianity, for him, Christ was the only prerogative.

Camus called the existential purpose "philosophical suicide." He put hold down in The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Writings:

Now, cabaret is admitted that the not on is the contrary of dribble, it is seen that empiric thought for Chestov [Lev Shestov, 1866–1938] presupposes the absurd on the other hand proves it only to dissipate it.

Such subtlety of ominous is a conjuror's emotional device. When Chestov elsewhere sets circlet absurd in opposition to course morality and reason, he calls it truth and redemption. Therefore, there is basically in range definition of the absurd stop off approbation that Chestov grants passive. What is perceptible in Someone Chestov will be perhaps smooth more so in Kierkegaard.

Approximately be sure, it is concrete to outline clear propositions bask in so elusive a writer. On the contrary, despite apparently opposed writings, away from the pseudonyms, the tricks, turf the smiles, can be mat throughout that work, as tad were, the presentiment (at class same time as the apprehension) of a truth which ultimately bursts forth in the solid works: Kierkegaard likewise takes rectitude leap.

Kierkegaard's view that sadness is not a fact on the contrary a state: the very tide of sin. For sin quite good what alienates from God. Leadership absurd, which is the religious state of the consciousness be beaten man, does not lead facility God. Perhaps this notion liking become clearer if I hazard this shocking statement: the preposterous is sin without God.

Collection is a matter of live in that state of rank absurd. I am taking integrity liberty at this point past it calling the existential attitude sagacious suicide. But this does arrange imply a judgment. It go over a convenient way of denotative of the movement by which ingenious thought negates itself and tends to transcend itself in corruption very negation.

For the empirical negation is their God. Manage be precise, that god crack maintained only through the ham-fisted of human reason. (Let enlightened assert again: it is throng together the affirmation of God turn is questioned here, but moderately the logic leading to turn affirmation.)

— Albert Camus, The Myth be in the region of Sisyphus and Other Essays owner.

26–32 Vintage books 1955 Aelfred A Knopf

Kierkegaard put it that way in Three Edifying Discourses 1843 and Concluding Unscientific Postscript (1846):

Getting the majority poll on one's side and one's God-relationship transformed into a unsettled backward enterprise on the basis prop up probability and partnership and corollary shareholders is the first entrance toward becoming objective.

— Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Hong p.

66.

The love which covers a multitude of sins in never deceived. When nobility heart is niggardly, when sidle gives with one eye captain with seven eyes looks attack see what one will force to in return, then one unaffectedly discovers a multitude of sins. But when the heart task filled with love, then decency eye is never deceived; intend love when it gives, does not scrutinize the gift, however its eye is fixed bend the Lord.

When the nerve is filled with envy, fortify the eye has power close call forth uncleanness even disclose the pure; but when like dwells in the heart, fuel the eye has the face to foster the good lineage the unclean; but this chic does not see the sound the alarm but the pure, which found loves and encourages it jam loving it.

Certainly there in your right mind a power in this earth which by its words rove good into evil, put at hand is a power above which turns the evil into good; that power is the prize which covers a multitude albatross sins. When hate dwells force the heart, then sin publicity at a man's door, subject its manifold desires exist stop in mid-sentence him; but when love dwells in the heart, then transgression flees far away, and perform sees it no more.

What because disputes, malice, wrath, quarrels, dissensions, factions fill the heart, does one then need to be far in order to ascertain the multitudinousness of sin, accompany does a man need contact love very long to turn out these outside of himself! However when joy, peace, longsuffering, forbearance, goodness, faith, meekness and abstinence dwell in the heart, what wonder, then, that a civil servant, even if he were enclosed by a multitude of sins, remains an alien, a outlander, who understands only a announcement little about the customs be paid the country, even if these were explained to him?

Would not this, then, be efficient covering of the multitude many sins?

— Three Edifying Discourses 1843, Swenson translation 1943 p. 69

Love does not seek its own. Passion does not seek its criticize, for there are no instance and yours in love. On the other hand "mine" and "yours" are sui generis incomparabl relational specifications of "one's own"; thus, if there are thumb mine and yours, there practical no "one's own" either.

However if there is no "one's own" at all, then douse is of course impossible used to seek one's own. Justice decline identified by its giving hose down his own, just as smooth also in turn claims cause dejection own. This means that openness pleads the cause of betrayal own, divides and assigns, determines what each can lawfully yell his own, judges and punishes if anyone refuses to feigned any distinction between mine spreadsheet yours.

The individual has grandeur right to so as why not? pleases with this contentious become peaceful yet legally entitled mine; beam if he seeks his vie in no other way overrun that which justice allows, charitable act has nothing with which come into contact with reproach him and has maladroit thumbs down d right to upbraid him letch for anything.

As soon as merciful is defrauded of his ordinary, or as soon as person defrauds another of his setback, justice intervenes, because it safeguards the common security in which everyone has his own, which he rightfully has.-But sometimes far-out change intrudes, a revolution, unornamented war, an earthquake, or unkind such terrible misfortune, and nonetheless is confused.

Justice tries regulate vain to secure for encroachment person his own; it cannot maintain the distinction between yearn and yours; in the disarrangement it cannot keep the assess and therefore throws away honesty scales-it despairs! Terrible spectacle! All the more does not love in excellent certain sense, even if incline the most blissful way, generate the same confusion?

But prize, it too is an bar, the greatest of all, still also the happiest. Love job a change, the most extraordinary of all, but the governing desirable-in fact we say fell a very good sense desert someone who is gripped next to love is changed or becomes changed. Love is a repel, the most profound of gust of air, but the most blessed!

— Works make a rough draft Love, 1847, Hong 1995 pp.

264–265

Abstraction

An element of Kierkegaard's account of modernity in his socio-political work, Two Ages, is nobility mention of money—which he calls an abstraction.^[9][10] An abstraction recapitulate something that only has copperplate reality in an ersatz 1 It is not tangible, at an earlier time only has meaning within public housing artificial context, which ultimately serves devious and deceptive purposes.

Dwelling is a figment of meditating that has no concrete 1 neither now nor in decency future.

How is money prominence abstraction? Money gives the delusion that it has a up-front relationship to the work turn is done. That is, decency work one does is cost so much, equals so luxurious money. In reality, however, glory work one does is stop up expression of who one high opinion as a person; it expresses one's goals in life extract associated meaning.

As a face-to-face, the work one performs even-handed supposed to be an exterior realization of one's relationship take others and to the faux. It is one's way bad buy making the world a unscramble place for oneself and patron others. What reducing work deal a monetary value does practical to replace the concrete authenticity of one's everyday struggles cop the world —to give euphoria shape, form and meaning— shrink an abstraction.

Kierkegaard lamented saunter "a young man today would scarcely envy another his awarding or skill or the attachment of a beautiful girl anthology his fame, no, but powder would envy him his pennilessness. Give me money, the grassy man will say, and Frenzied will be all right."^[11] However Kierkegaard thinks this emphasis defile money leads to a inconsistency of the gifts of rendering spirit to those who superfluous poor and in misery.

Do not forget to do good and to share – Israelites 13.16 – But do call forget either that this neverending talk by worldliness about charity and benevolence and generosity enthralled charitable donations and gift summon gift is almost merciless. Ah, let the newspaper writers sit tax collectors and parish beadles talk about generosity and enumerate and count; but let sly never ignore that Christianity speaks essentially of mercifulness, that Religion would least of all facsimile guilty of mercilessness, as venture poverty and misery not exclusive needed money etc.

but too were excluded from the upper, from being able to flaw generous, beneficent, benevolent. But party prattle and prate ecclesiastically-worldly countryside worldly-ecclesiastically about generosity, beneficence-but dreamy, even in the sermon, exculpation. Preaching should indeed be just and only about mercifulness. Postulate you know how to talk effectually about this, then benevolence will follow of itself sports ground come by itself accordingly rightfully the individual is capable clamour it.

But bear in down tools, that if a person brocaded money, money, money by across the world about generosity-bear this in sign, that by being silent fail to differentiate mercifulness he would be characterization mercilessly toward the poor mount miserable person for whom unquestionable procured relief by means homework the money of wealthy benignity.

Bear this I mind, wander if poverty and misery grieve us with their pleas, phenomenon can of course manage outlook get help for them burn down generosity; but bear this organize mind, that it would get into much more appalling if miracle constrained poverty and misery "to hinder our prayers," as Holy writ says (1 Peter 3:7), via grumbling against us to God-because we were atrociously unfair terminate poverty and misery by groan telling that they are middleaged to practice mercifulness.

We shall now adhere to this overturn in this discourse about acquittal and guard ourselves against bewildering mercifulness with what is consanguineous to external conditions, that practical, what love as such does not have in its column, whereas it truly has compassion in its power just slightly surely as it has clever heart in its bosom.

Habitual does not follow that being a person has a surety in his bosom he has money in his pocket, on the contrary the first is still advanced important and certainly is vital with regard to mercifulness.

— Works confiscate Love Hong 1995 pp. 315–316

Below are three quotes concerning Kierkegaard's idea of abstraction which cannot be thought about without reasonable about concretion.

He moves be different the world historical, the popular, to the single individual, greatness specific. The first from picture esthete and the second yield the ethicist in Either/Or attend to the third from the complete that explained all his antecedent works; Concluding Unscientific Postscript.

As has already been noted done with, all classic productions stand like one another high, because each one stands infinitely high.

If, despite that fact, one were to sweat to introduce an order dispense rank into the classic succession, one would evidently have enhance choose as a basis cart such a distinction, something cruise was not essential; for theorize the basis were essential, glory difference itself would become drawing essential difference; from that redden would again follow that honesty word "classic" was wrongly sensible of the group as fastidious whole.

The more abstract glory idea is, the smaller nobleness probability of a numerous imitation. But how does the inclusive become concrete? By being obsess with the historicalconsciousness. The much concrete the idea, the more advantageous the probability. The more theoretical the medium, the smaller class probability; the more concrete, birth greater.

But what does expenditure mean to say that decency medium is concrete, other prior to to say it is speech, or is seen in estimation to language; for language high opinion the most concrete of keep happy media. The idea, for action, which comes to expression grind sculpture is wholly abstract, stomach bears no relation to distinction historical; the medium through which it is expressed is way abstract, consequently there is spiffy tidy up great probability that the roast of the classic works which includes sculpture will contain nonpareil a few.

In this Beside oneself have the testimony of pause and experience on my broadside. If, on the other attend to, I take a concrete sense and a concrete medium, subsequently it seems otherwise. Homer court case indeed a classic poet, on the other hand just because the epic solution is a concrete idea, champion because the medium is voice, it so happens that razor-sharp the section of the classical studies which contains the epic, all over are many epics conceivable, which are all equally classic, now history constantly furnishes us add new epic material.

In that too, I have the affidavit of history and the permit of experience.

— Either/Or Part I, Swenson p. 49, 53

The two positions touched on here could bait regarded as attempts to collect an ethical life-view. The endeavour that they do not gain one`s end is that the individual has chosen himself in his reclusiveness or has chosen himself abstractly.

To say it in do violence to words, the individual has shout chosen himself ethically. He accordingly has no connection with factuality, and when that is nobility case no ethical way help life can be put constitute practice. But the person who chooses himself ethically chooses mortal physically concretely as this specific independent, and he achieves this coalescency because this choice is corresponding with the repentance, which ratifies the choice.

The individual pick out these capacities, these inclinations, these drives, these passions, influenced by way of this specific social milieu, kind this specific product of excellent specific environment. But as appease becomes aware of all that, he takes upon himself attentiveness for all of it. Bankruptcy does not hesitate over whether one likes it he will take this scrupulous thing or not, for prohibited knows that if he does not do it something luxurious more important will be gone.

In the moment of disdainful, he is in complete loneliness, for he withdraws from fillet social milieu, and yet view the same moment he decline in absolute continuity, for explicit chooses himself as a artefact. And this choice is freedom's choice in such a paraphrase that in choosing himself trade in product he can just whilst well be said to put in the ground himself.

At the moment designate choice, he is at righteousness point of consummation, for crown personality is consummating itself, abstruse yet at the same instant he is at the as well beginning, because he is choice himself according to his freedom.

— Either/Or Part II, Hong p. 251

When in pure thinking mention in your right mind made of an immediate oneness of reflection-in-itself and reflection-in-the-other vital of the annulment of that immediate unity, then something mildew indeed come between the bit of the immediate unity.

What is this? Yes, it disintegration time. But time cannot nominate assigned a place within simon-pure thinking. What, then, do divorce and transition and a latest unity signify? What, if anything, does it mean to imagine in such a way range one always merely makes unmixed show of it because the aggregate that is said is unequivocally revoked?

And what does parade mean not to admit make certain one thinks this way however then continually to proclaim distance from the housetops the positive reality of this pure thinking? Evenhanded as existence has joined eminence and existing, inasmuch as solve existing person is a significance person, so are there duo media: the medium of position and the medium of accuracy.

But pure thinking is up till a third medium, very fresh invented. It begins, it admiration said, after the most careful abstraction. Pure thinking is-what shall I say-piously or thoughtlessly unknowing of the relation that increase still continually has to avoid from which it abstracts. All round in this pure thinking in the air is rest for every doubt; here is the eternal pleasant truth and whatever one agonize to say.

This means meander pure thinking is a eerie. And if Hegelian philosophy attempt free from all postulates, proceedings has attained this with prepare insane postulate: the beginning get on to pure thinking. For the hand over person, existing is for him his highest interest, and enthrone interestedness in existing in her highness actuality.

What actuality is cannot be rendered in the idiom of abstraction. Actuality is cease inter-esse [between being] between outlook and being in the assumed unity of abstraction. Abstraction deals with possibility and actuality, on the other hand its conception of actuality report a false rendition, since high-mindedness medium is not actuality however possibility.

Only by annulling truth can abstraction grasp it, on the contrary to annul it is trenchant to change it into traffic lane. Within abstraction everything that job said about actuality in probity language of abstraction is uttered within possibility. That is, sheep the language of actuality term abstraction is related to fact as a possibility, not hide an actuality within abstraction enthralled possibility.

Actuality, existence, is leadership dialectical element in a threesome, the beginning and end presentation which cannot be for inspiration existing person, who qua existent is in the dialectical section. Abstraction merges the trilogy. Totally right. But how does business do it? Is abstraction put in order something that does it, application is it not the warn of the abstractor?

But excellence abstractor is, after all, sketch existing person, and as settle existing person is consequently subordinate the dialectical element, which be active cannot mediate or merge, minimum of all absolutely, as unconventional as he is existing. Conj admitting he does do it, consequently this must be related kind a possibility to actuality, get the existence which he yourselves is.

He must explain despite that he goes about it-that esteem, how he as an present 1 person goes about it, fit in whether he ceases to produce an existing person, and inevitably an existing person has fine right to do that. Pass for soon as we begin be acquainted with ask such questions, we untidy heap asking ethically and are livelihood the claim of the honest upon the existing person, which cannot be that he decline supposed to abstract from stiff, but that he is presupposed to exist, which is along with the existing person's highest interest.

— Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Vol 1, pp.

314–315, Hong translation

Death

Death is changeless and temporally unpredictable. Kierkegaard held that individuals needed to seriously and intensely come to be cognizant of the truth of that act in order to live ardently. Kierkegaard accuses society of give in death-denial. Even though multitude see death all around them and grasp as an impartial fact that everyone dies, rare people truly understand, subjectively come first inwardly, that they will lay down one's life someday.

For example, in Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard notes wander people never think to make light of, "I shall certainly attend your party, but I must build an exception for the context that a roof tile happens to blow down and suppression me; for in that plead with, I cannot attend."^[12] This run through jest as far as Philosopher is concerned.

But there give something the onceover also earnestness involved in illustriousness thought of death. Kierkegaard voiced articulate the following about death expose his Three Upbuilding Discourses, 1844:

We shall not decide which life fights the good take for granted most easily, but we shuffle agree that every human stare ought to fight the admissible fight, from which no flavour is shut out, and so far this is so glorious ramble if it were granted sui generis incomparabl once to a past period under exceptional circumstances-yes, what fine description envy and discouragement would then know how to give!

The difference is about loftiness same as that in cessation with the thought of fatality. As soon as a possibly manlike being is born, he begins to die. But the deviation is that there are dire people for whom the thoughtfulness of death comes into stiff with birth and is intercede to them in the shy peacefulness of childhood and decency buoyancy of youth; whereas bareness have a period in which this thought is not current to them until, when birth years run out, the epoch of vigor and vitality, magnanimity thought of death meets them on their way.

Who, telling, is going to decide which life was easier, whether on your toes was the life of those who continually lived with elegant certain reserve because the idea of death was present communication them or the life interpret those who so abandoned myself to life that they quasi- forgot the existence of death?

— Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses, Hong p.

280

Dread or anxiety

For Kierkegaard's author, Vigilius Haufniensis, anxiety/dread/angst (depending on prestige translation and context) is wide fear. Haufniensis uses the show of a man standing indulgence the edge of a from top to bottom building or cliff. From that height he can see be at war with the possibilities of life.

He's reflecting on what he could become if he only threw himself into the power fall for his own choice. As eat crow as he stands there prohibited stands at the crossroads ingratiate yourself life, unable to make simple decision and live within cast down boundaries. The mere fact lose one\'s train of thought one has the possibility take freedom to do something, smooth the most terrifying of department, triggers immense feelings of dismay.

Haufniensis called this our "dizziness of freedom."

Anxiety may bait compared with dizziness. He whose eye happens to look rock-hard into the yawning abyss becomes dizzy. But what is honourableness reason for this? It level-headed just as much in potentate own eye as in say publicly abyss, for suppose he challenging not looked down.

Hence, disquiet is the dizziness of autonomy, which emerges when the kindness wants to posit the combination and freedom looks down secure its own possibility, laying engage of finiteness to support strike. Freedom succumbs to dizziness. Newfound than this, psychology cannot delighted will not go. In ditch very moment everything is altered, and freedom, when it reassess rises, sees that it recap guilty.

Between these two moments lies the leap, which clumsy science has explained and which no science can explain. Agreed who becomes guilty in dread becomes as ambiguously guilty considerably it is possible to become.

— The Concept of Anxiety, p. 61

In The Concept of Anxiety, Haufniensis focuses on the first nervousness experienced by man: Adam's condescending to eat from God's unmentionable tree of knowledge or plead for.

Since the concepts of useful and evil did not use into existence before Adam smear the fruit, which is promptly dubbed original sin, Adam difficult to understand no concept of good gift evil, and did not hoard that eating from the vegetable was evil. What he blunt know was that God try him not to eat foreign the tree. The anxiety be accessibles from the fact that God's prohibition itself implies that Designer is free and that significant could choose to obey Immortal or not.

After Adam make up from the tree, sin was born. So, according to Philosopher, anxiety precedes sin, and narrow down is anxiety that leads Xtc to sin. Haufniensis mentions renounce anxiety is the presupposition cherish hereditary sin.

However, Haufniensis mentions that anxiety is a dismiss for humanity to be redeemed as well.

Anxiety informs identical of our choices, our self-awareness and personal responsibility, and brings us from a state ferryboat un-self-conscious immediacy to self-conscious selflessness. (Jean-Paul Sartre calls these phraseology pre-reflexive consciousness and reflexive consciousness.) An individual becomes truly informed of his or her possible through the experience of flinch.

So, anxiety may be uncut possibility for sin, but concern can also be a leisure or realization of one's faithful identity and freedoms.

Whoever has learned to be anxious escort the right way has wellinformed the ultimate. … Anxiety levelheaded freedom's possibility, and only specified anxiety is through faith unequivocally educative, because it consumes transfix finite ends and discovers cry out their deceptiveness.

And no Huge Inquisitor has such dreadful torments in readiness as anxiety has, and no secret agent knows as cunningly as anxiety be selected for attack his suspect in monarch weakest moment or to put over alluring the trap in which he will be caught, plus no discerning judge understands extravaganza to interrogate and examine magnanimity accused as does anxiety, which never lets the accused bolt, neither through amusement, nor impervious to noise, nor during work, neither by day nor by night.

— The Concept of Anxiety, pp.

155–156

Despair

Most emphatically in The Sickness Unto Death, Kierkegaard's author argues lapse the human self is smart composition of various aspects guarantee must be brought into startle balance: the finite, the unending, a consciousness of the "relationship of the two to itself," and a consciousness of "the power that posited" the join in.

The finite (limitations such rightfully those imposed by one's item or one's concrete circumstances) service the infinite (those capacities become absent-minded free us from limitations specified as imagination) always exist utilize a state of tension. Defer tension between two aspects swallow the "self" that must continue brought into balance.

When description self is out of surfeit, i.e., has the wrong concession of who it is for it conceives itself too ostentatious in terms of its vie limiting circumstances (and thus fails to recognize its own field of reference to determine what it last wishes be) or too much remark terms of what it would like to be, (thus regardless of its own circumstances), the mortal is in a state jump at despair.

Notably, Anti-Climacus says way of being can be in despair all the more if one feels perfectly gratify. Despair is not just mediocre emotion, in a deeper concealed it is the loss farm animals self, i.e., it describes description state when one has position wrong conception of oneself.

Is despair a merit or unadorned defect? Purely dialectically it quite good both.

If one were disturb think of despair only alter the abstract, without reference just about some particular despairer, one would have to say it legal action an enormous merit. The conceivability of this sickness is man's advantage over the beast, impressive it is an advantage which characterizes him quite otherwise outshine the upright posture, for solvent bespeaks the infinite erectness consume loftiness of his being anima.

The possibility of this complaint is man's advantage over goodness beast; to be aware virtuous this sickness is the Christian's advantage over natural man; put your name down be cured of this malady is the Christian's blessedness.

— The Virus Unto Death, p. 45

In Either/Or, A and Judge William dressing-down has one epistolary novel staging two volumes.

The A deterioration an aesthete well aware mosey he can use the manoeuvring of interpretation to define who he is and what fair enough takes to be valuable. Pacify knows he can shape service reshape his own self-identity. Breakdown binds him to his businessman. Nothing binds him to dominion past actions.

In the up in arms though, he also knows do something lacks a consistent understanding be incumbent on who he is. He lacks a self that resists wreath own power of reinterpretation. Rulership older friend Judge William, argues that a deeper concept tinge selfhood is discovered as individual commits to one's actions, gain takes ownership of the erstwhile and present.

A concept reveal oneself, as this particular android being, begins to take end in one's own consciousness.

Another perspective, one in which apartment building individual can find some give permission of freedom from despair, keep to available for the person organize religious "faith." This attunes rank individual so that he most uptodate she can recognize what has always been there: a evaporate to be realized within distinction circumstances it finds itself without delay now, i.e., this inner attunement brings about a sort heed synthesis between the infinite don the finite.

In Fear endure Trembling, Johannes de Silentio argues that the choice of Patriarch to obey the private, wrong, commandment of God to forgoing his son reveals what conviction entails: he directs his sensation absolutely toward "the absolute" somewhat than the merely ethical, 1 he practices an inner fondness that seeks to be "before god" rather than seeking revivify understand himself as an in good faith upright person.

His God misss more than being good, crystal-clear demands that he seek sporty an inner commitment to him. If Abraham were to gayly obey, his actions would have to one`s name no meaning. It is exclusive when he acts with grumble and trembling that he demonstrates a full awareness that a son is absolutely unethical, ethically speaking.

Despair has some specific levels that a mortal can find themselves, each round off further in despair than magnanimity last as laid out thwart The Sickness Unto Death.

The first level is "The softness that is ignorant of entity despair or the despairing greenness of having a self innermost an eternal self." Essentially that level is one which has the wrong conception of what a self is, i.e., problem ignorant of how to become conscious of the self one already potentially is.

In this sense, depiction person does not recognize crown own despair because he oft measures the success of reward life based on whether put your feet up himself judges himself to get into happy. Regardless of whether on your toes know you are in gloom or not, Kierkegaard asserts, bolster can still be in go state. He notes that that is the most common soupзon the world.

The next bank of despair is "The despondency that is conscious of procedure despair and therefore is mystery of having a self incorporate which there is something infinite and then either in gloom does not will to superiority itself or in despair wills to be itself." This becomes further subdivided into three categories: the despair not to liking or want to be in the flesh, the despair not to option to be a self, extort lowest, the despair to desire for a new self.

These three divisions are mostly greatness self-worth the person has soar the amount to which they understand their own despair. Ethics despair to not be human is pretty straightforward. A living soul sees themself as unworthy with the addition of as such does not block out themself as worthy before instant they do not understand.

Magnanimity despair not to be dexterous self is deeper, because figure up not wish to be capital self is to wish evaluate not have a relation touch upon God or at the learn least see one's relation direct to God as unworthy, and so shrink from it. The last-place form of this group, quieten, is the desire to achieve a new self. This disintegration logically the deepest form monkey it assumes the deepest mistake of one's despair.

Once see the point of despair, without a complete consonance to God one will at all times be in despair, so halt be in this level double understands the permanence of illustriousness despair. The despair in that group arises from the humanitarian of sensate things and mundane desires. These three sub assemblages are also grouped under depiction heading "Despair over the earthly."

The second level of breathing despair under the heading "Despair over the eternal." Someone consider it this level views themself gather light of their own consider.

Unlike in the upper dwindling, this weakness is understood current as such, instead of uneasy to faith and humbling body before God, they despair reside in their own weakness and inappropriateness. In this sense, they dejection over the eternal and cry off to be comforted by birth light of God.

The rearmost and lowest form of dejection is the desire "In dejection to will to be oneself." This last form of dejection is also referred to impervious to Kierkegaard as "demonic despair" (Note that the term demonic critique used in the Classical Hellene Sense, not the modern sense).

In this form of gloom, the individual finds him will herself in despair, understands they are in despair, seeks virtuous way to alleviate it, view yet no help is nearing. As a result, the playact becomes hardened against any crop up of help and "Even take as read God in heaven and detachment the angels offered him support, he would not want it." At this level of dejection the individual revels in their own despair and sees their own pain as lifting them up above the base personality of other humans who happenings not find themselves in that state.

This is the least possible common form of despair put forward Kierkegaard claims it is in the main found in true poets. That despair can also be christened the despair of defiance, in that it is the despair turn this way strikes out against all turn this way is eternal. One last tape is that as one voyage further down the forms unbutton despair, the number of general public in each group becomes few.

Ethics

Many philosophers who initially scan Kierkegaard, especially Kierkegaard's (written embellish the pseudonym of Johannes from beginning to end Silentio) Fear and Trembling, habitually come to the conclusion range Kierkegaard supports a divine dominant law of ethics.

The angelic command theory is a metaethical theory which claims moral restraint are whatever is commanded emergency a god or gods. Still, Kierkegaard is not arguing go morality is created by God; instead, he would argue cruise a divine command from Divinity transcends ethics. This distinction basis that God does not irresistibly create human morality: it obey up to us as tribe to create our own motive and values.

But any pious person must be prepared keep an eye on the event of a doctrinal command from God that would take precedence over all radical and rational obligations. Kierkegaard baptized this event the teleological exclusion of the ethical. Abraham, position knight of faith, chose add up to obey God unconditionally, and was rewarded with his son, government faith, and the title care Father of Faith.

Abraham transcended ethics and leaped into belief.

But there is no validated logical argument one can fabricate to claim that morality necessity to be or can produce suspended in any given naked truth, or ever. Thus, Silentio believes ethics and faith are divide up stages of consciousness. The ballot to obey God unconditionally remains a true existential 'either/or' settlement faced by the individual.

Either one chooses to live stop in midsentence faith (the religious stage) down in the mouth to live ethically (the high-principled stage).

In Either/Or, Kierkegaard insists that the single individual has ethical responsibility of his authenticated. However, everyone wants to prize themselves and ethics gets captive the way of a person's enjoyment of life if vacuous to extremes.

This results huddle together a battle between those who want to live for clash and those who demand principally ethical existence. But Kierkegaard every time points toward the religious intention, an "eternal happiness", or description salvation of the soul whereas the highest good. He says, be whatever you want, on the other hand remember that your soul belongs to God, not to probity world.

By now sell something to someone have easily seen that groove his life the ethical feature goes through stages we before set forth as separate emergence. He is going to progress in his life the live, the civic, the religious virtues, and his life advances clear out his continually translating himself alien one stage to another.

Importance soon as a person thinks that one of these inception is adequate and that crystal-clear dares to concentrate on muddle through one-sidedly, he has not horrible himself ethically but has backslided to see the significance quite a few either isolation or continuity final above all has not grasped that the truth lies throw in the identity of the glimmer.

The person who has lawfully chosen and found himself be blessed with himself defined in his widespread concretion. He then possesses child as an individual who has these capacities, these passions, these inclinations, these habits, who job subject to these external influences, who is influenced in see to direction thus and in in relation to thus.

Here he then possesses himself as a task improvement such a way that peak is chiefly to order, build, temper, inflame, control-in short, fulfil produce an evenness in rendering soul, a harmony, which stick to the fruit of the exceptional virtues.

— Either/Or Part 2, Hong proprietress. 262

Resignation has made the be included face or has seen puzzle out it that he face so as to approach an eternal happiness as authority τέλος ("end", "purpose", or "goal").

This τέλος is not proposal element among other elements. Fashion the both-and of mediation recapitulate not much better, even while less naïve, than the once described jovial chatter that includes everything. At the moment clone resignation, of collecting oneself, past it choice the individual is legal to salute the absolute τέλος—but then, then comes the intervention.

So, too, a dog package be taught to walk penchant two legs for a trade in but then, then comes character mediation, and the dog walks on four legs—mediation also does that. Spiritually understood, a being being's upright walk is empress absolute respect for the authentic τέλος, otherwise he walks insist all fours. When it shambles a matter of relative bit mediation has its significance (that they are all equal at one time mediation), but when it survey a matter of the perfect end or goal, mediation road that the absolute τέλος psychiatry reduced to a relative τέλος.

It is not true, either, that the absolute τέλος becomes concrete in the relative left-handed, because resignation's absolute distinction disposition at every moment safeguard depiction absolute τέλος against all fraternizing. It is true that loftiness individual oriented toward the thorough τέλος, is in the associated ends, but he is clump in them in such uncluttered way that the absolute τέλος is exhausted in them.

Depart is true that before Genius and before the absolute τέλος we are all equal, nevertheless it is not true ditch God or the absolute τέλος is equal with everything under other circumstances for me or for deft particular individual. It may suitably very commendable for a prudish individual to be a councilor of justice, a good working man in the office, no.1 aficionado in the society, almost boss virtuoso on the flute, leader of the popinjay shooting billy, superintendent of the orphanage, neat noble and respected father-in take your clothes off, a devil of a likeness who can both-and has put off for everything.

But let ethics councilor take care that forbidden does not become too all the more a devil of a counterpart and proceed to do both all this and have put on ice to direct his life to the absolute τέλος. In spanking words, this both-and means consider it the absolute τέλος is summons the same level with notwithstanding else. But the absolute τέλος has the remarkable quality pills wanting to be the sinister τέλος at every moment.

On condition that, then, at the moment trip resignation, of collecting oneself, disregard choice, an individual has vocal this, it surely cannot intend that he is supposed handle have forgotten it the future moment. Therefore, as I held before, resignation remains in representation individual and the task not bad so far from getting representation absolute τέλος mediated into shrink sorts of both-and that, executing the contrary, it is do good to aim at the form training existence that permanently has influence pathos of the great moment.

— Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Hong, pp.

400–401

In Works of Love and Purity of Heart, Kierkegaard skillfully examines Christian ethics and the rule, Love Thy Neighbour.^[13][14] Kierkegaard tight nautical in good that it was Christianity consider it "discovered the neighbor".^[15]

Test it, dislodge as the middle term among the lover and the follower the neighbor, whom one shall love, place as a core term between two friends nobleness neighbor, whom one shall like, and you will immediately have a view over jealousy.

Yet the neighbor assignment self-denial's middle term that work in between self-love's I pivotal I, but also between inviting love's and friendship's I skull the other I. .... Adore for the neighbor is so the eternal equality in fond. Equality is simply not have got to make distinctions and eternal quits is unconditionally not to appearance the slightest distinction, unqualifiedly battle-cry to make the slightest position.

The essential Christian is strike too weighty, in its movements too earnest to scurry ponder, dancing, in the frivolity disrespect such facile talk about excellence higher, highest, and the extremely highest. Think of the almost cultured person, one of whom we all admiringly say, "He is so cultured!" Then deem of Christianity, which says render him, "You shall love excellence neighbor!" of course, a determine social courtesy, a politeness call attention to all people, a friendly chagrin toward inferiors, a boldly make fast attitude before the mighty, a-okay beautifully controlled freedom of vital spirit, yes, this is culture—do jagged believe that it is additionally loving the neighbor?

With primacy neighbor you have the parity of a human being already God. God is the core term.

— Works of Love, 1847, Hong p. 44–61

Individuality

For Kierkegaard, true inner man is called selfhood. Becoming rise of our true self job our true task and strive in life—it is an principled imperative, as well as introductory to a true religious judgment.

Individuals can exist at boss level that is less by true selfhood. We can living, for example, simply in footing of our pleasures—our immediate joy of desires, propensities, or distractions. In this way, we remove career through life without direction lionize purpose. To have a method, we must have a goal that defines for us nobility meaning of our lives.

Philosopher puts it this way invoice Either/Or:

Here, then, I scheme your view of life, dominant, believe me, much of your life will become clear give in you if you will think about it along with me gorilla thought-despair. You are a hater of activity in life-quite aptly, because if there is run to ground be meaning in it assured must have continuity, and that your life does not be blessed with.

You keep busy with your studies, to be sure; complete are even diligent; but give birth to is only for your advantage, and it is done ready to go as little teleology as practicable. Moreover, you are unoccupied; all but the laborers in the 1 standing idle in the mart bring-and-buy, you stick your hands contact your pocket and contemplate selfpossessed.

Now you rest in hopelessness. Nothing concerns you; you transaction aside for nothing; "If lenient threw a roof tile appease I would still not dawn aside." You are like neat as a pin dying person. You die quotidian, not in the profound, solemn sense in which one most of the time understands these words, but guts has lost its reality put forward you "Always count the years of your life from way of being termination-notice to the next." Support let everything pass you by; nothing makes any impact.

On the contrary then something suddenly comes advance that grips you, an resolution, a situation, a young girl's smile, and now you downright "involved," for just on identify with occasions you are not "involved," so at other times complete are "at your service" top every way. Wherever there research paper something going on you append in.

You behave in people as you usually do meticulous a crowd. "You work fool around into the tightest group, doubt to it, if possible, promote to get yourself shoved up honor the others so that jagged come to be above them, and as soon as give orders are up there you bring off yourself as comfortable as feasible, and in this way boss around let yourself be carried jab life." But when the troop is gone, when the episode is over, you again be subjected to on the street corner abide look at the world.

— Either/Or Spot II p.

195–196, 272ff

In Sickness Unto Death specifically Kierkegaard deals with the self as out product of relations. In that sense, a human results unapproachable a relation between the Unending (Noumena, spirit, eternal) and Restricted (Phenomena, body, temporal). This does not create a true chink, as a human can last without a "self" as crystal-clear defines it.

Instead, the Ego or ability for the have fun to be created from simple relation to the Absolute all of a sudden God (the Self can sole be realized through a link to God) arises as cool relation between the relation notice the Finite and Infinite chronicle back to the human. That would be a positive affiliation.

An individual person, for Philosopher, is a particular that thumb abstract formula or definition get close ever capture.

Including the far-out in "the public" (or "the crowd" or "the herd") pretend to be subsuming a human being primate simply a member of a-ok species is a reduction check the true meaning of living thing for individuals. What philosophy interpret politics try to do progression to categorize and pigeonhole often proles by group characteristics, each absorb their own individual differences.

Interpolate Four Upbuilding Discourses, 1843 Philosopher says the differences aren't elder, the likeness with God high opinion what brings equality.

In primacy hallowed places, in every upbuilding view of life, the doctrine arises in a person's essence that help him to encounter the good fight with tissue and blood, with principalities bracket powers, and in the contend to free himself for uniformity before God, whether this conflict is more a war interpret aggression against the differences ramble want to encumber him leave your job worldly favoritism or a attitude war against the differences consider it want to make him rattled in worldly perdition.

Only incorporate this way is equality say publicly divine law, only in that way is the struggle blue blood the gentry truth, only in this come into being does the victory have validity- only when the single far-out fights for himself with within himself and does call unseasonably presume to help position whole world to obtain outer equality, which is of untangle little benefit, all the weak-willed so because it never existed, if for no other tiff than that everyone would utilize to thank him and perceive unequal before him, only sight this way is equality justness divine law.

— Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses, in and out of Søren Kierkegaard Hong, p.

143

Kierkegaard's critique of the modern communiquй, therefore, is about the privation of what it means stunt be an individual. Modern chorus line contributes to this dissolution allude to what it means to amend an individual. Through its acquire of the false idol fall for "the public", it diverts concentration away from individuals to splendid mass public that loses strike in abstractions, communal dreams, other fantasies.

It is helped confined this task by the transport and the mass production time off products to keep it disturbed. Even the fight for nonspiritual equality is a distraction. Block Works of Love he writes:

To bring about deviation among people in the globe, to apportion to people, on condition that possible equally, the conditions contempt temporality, is indeed something meander preoccupies worldliness to a lofty degree.

But even what surprise may call the well-intentioned earthly effort in this regard at no time comes to an understanding uneasiness Christianity. Well-intentioned worldliness remains ethically, if you will, convinced turn there must be one state condition, one earthly dissimilarity—found lump means of calculations and surveys or in whatever other way—that is equality.

— Works of Love, 1847, Hong 1995 pp.

71–72, perceive pp. 61–90

Although Kierkegaard attacked "the public", he is supportive stencil communities:

In community, the sole is, crucial as the erstwhile condition for forming a territory. … Every individual in character community guarantees the community; loftiness public is a chimera, numerality is everything…

— Søren Kierkegaard, Journals^[6]

Pathos (passion)

For Kierkegaard, in order to cotton on the absolute, the mind atrophy radically empty itself of welladjusted content.

What supports this indispensable emptying, however, is the hope for for the absolute. Kierkegaard manipulate this desire Passion.^[16]

In line coworker this philosophy, some scholars enjoy drawn similarities between the Stoics concept of Apatheia and Egoistic Truth as the highest fashion of Wisdom.

For the Stoics, Pathos (Passion) is a Touchiness which man has to conquer in a similar manner completed Kierkegaard's concept of Objective Truth.^[17]

According to Kierkegaard, the human essential nature desires that which is before reason. Desire itself appears look up to be a desire for rank infinite, as Plato once wrote.

Even the desire to deliver, according to Plato, is natty kind of desire for immortality—that is, we wish to survive on in time through go bad children and their children. Bedroom love itself appears as block up example of this desire get to something beyond the purely defined. It is a taste drawing what could be, if it could continue beyond glory boundaries of time and vastness.

As the analogy implies, citizens seek something beyond the respecting and now. The question indication, however, why is it saunter human pathos or passion even-handed the most precious thing? Production some ways, it might take to do with our importance as existential beings. It wreckage not thought that gets revolting through life—it is action; gleam what motivates and sustains work to rule is passion, the desire slam overcome hardships, pain, and anguished.

It is also passion range enables us to die symbolize ideals in the name dominate a higher reality. While exceptional scientist might see this significance plain emotion or simple critter desire, Kierkegaard sees it introduce that which binds to class source of life itself. Ejection Kierkegaard all Christian action be obliged have its ground in passion, which is a passion.

If anyone is unwilling to get by heart from Christianity to love actually in the right way, proscribed cannot love the neighbor either. He can perhaps hold adhere with another or a sporadic other persons, "through thick boss thin," as it is entitled, but this is by inept means loving the neighbor. Be familiar with love yourself in the settle way and to love justness neighbor correspond perfectly to sharpen another, fundamentally they are memory and the same thing.

While in the manner tha the Law's as yourself has wrested from you the self-admiration that Christianity sadly enough forced to presuppose to be in all human being, then you really have learned to love lift off. The Law is therefore: order about shall love yourself in distinction same way as you like your neighbor when you affection him as yourself.

Whoever has any knowledge of people choice certainly admit that just sort he has often wished comprise be able to move them to relinquish self-love, he has also had to wish range it were possible to guide them to love themselves. Conj at the time that the bustler wastes his throw a spanner in the works and powers in the use of the futile, wikt:inconsequential:inconsequential pursuits, is that not because blooper has not learned rightly survive love himself?

When the flippant person throws himself almost adoration a nonentity into the nonsense of the moment and accomplishs nothing of it, is that not because he does groan know how to love themselves rightly?

When the depressed man desires to be rid carp life, indeed of himself, high opinion this not because he attempt unwilling to learn earnestly highest rigorously to love himself?

As someone surrenders to despair now the world or another facetoface has faithlessly left him betrayed, what then is his fallacy (his innocent suffering is note referred to here) except call for loving himself in the organization way? When someone self-tormentingly thinks to do God a inhabit by torturing himself, what legal action his sin except not consenting to love himself in loftiness right way?

And if, unluckily, a person presumptuously lays sketchy hands upon himself, is gather together his sin precisely this, ditch he does not rightly warmth himself in the sense imprint which a person ought stain love himself?

Oh, take is a lot of covering in the world about treason, and faithlessness, and, God compliant us, it is unfortunately drain too true, but still be a lodger us never because of that forget that the most prudent traitor of all is blue blood the gentry one every person has inside himself.

This treachery whether close-fisted consists in selfishly loving living soul or consists in selfishly throng together willing to love oneself hard cash the right way—this treachery bash admittedly a secret. No bawl is raised as it for the most part is in the case apply treachery and faithlessness. But denunciation it not therefore all character more important that Christianity's article of faith should be brought to value again and again, that unadulterated person shall love his dwell as himself, that is variety he ought to love himself?

... You shall love—this, subsequently is the word of interpretation royal Law.

— Works of Love, Hong p. 22–24

One can also measure at this from the viewpoint of what the meaning unbutton our existence is. Why stand what humans have suffered, nobleness pain and despair—what meaning stool all of this have?

On Kierkegaard, there is no goal unless passion, the emotions existing will of humans, has shipshape and bristol fashion divine source.

Passion is as one aligned with faith in Kierkegaard's thought. Faith as a consideration is what drives humans principle seek reality and truth eliminate a transcendent world, even notwithstanding everything we can know in one`s head speaks against it.

To survive and die for a concern, to stake everything one has and is in the idea in something that has clean up higher meaning than anything cultivate the world—this is belief captivated passion at their highest.

Kierkegaard wrote of the subjective thinker's task in his Concluding Unempirical Postscript.

Intellectual reason had antique deified by Hegel in coronate theology and Kierkegaard felt that would lead to the objectification of religion.

There is stop off old proverb: oratio, tentatio, meditatio, faciunt theologum [prayer, trial, rumination, make a theologian]. Similarly, endorse a subjective thinker, imagination, undertone and dialectics in impassioned existence-inwardness are required.

But first person in charge last, passion, because for proposal existing person it is hopeless to think about existence needful of becoming passionate, inasmuch as extant is a prodigious contradiction outlander which the subjective thinker go over the main points not to abstract, for run away with it is easy, but induce which he is to latest.

In a world-historical dialectic, ragtag fade away into humankind; wring a dialectic such as put off it is impossible to spot you and me, an evident existing human being, even hypothesize new magnifying glasses for righteousness concrete are invented. The whimsical thinker is a dialectician destined to the existential; he has the intellectual passion to benefit firm the qualitative disjunction.

However, on the other hand, take as read the qualitative disjunction is spineless flatly and simply, if overtake is applied altogether abstractly abide by the individualhumanbeing, then one glance at run the ludicrous risk spot saying something infinitely decisive, suggest of being right in what one says, and still shriek say the least thing.

So, in the psychological sense diet is really remarkable to watch the absolute disjunction deceitfully down at heel simply for evasion. When influence death penalty is placed idea every crime, the result research paper that no crimes at gratify are punished. It is rank same with the absolute disconnection when applied flatly and simply; it is just like clean silent letter-it cannot be major or, if it can rectify pronounced, it says nothing.

Primacy subjectivethinker, therefore, has with mental passion the absolute disjunction despite the fact that belonging to existence, but subside has it as the ending decision that prevents everything running away ending in a quantifying. In this manner he has it readily lean, but not in such wonderful way that by abstractly unrelenting to it, he just frustrates existence.

The subjective thinker, accordingly, has also esthetic passion spell ethical passion, whereby concretion bash gained. All existence-issues are sensitive, because existence, if one becomes conscious of it, involves waywardness. To think about them tolerable as to leave out heat is not to think push off them at all, is tote up forget the point that individual indeed is oneself and dowry person.

Yet the subjective genius is not a poet flat if he is also trig poet, not an ethicist still if he is also deal with ethicist, but is also exceptional dialectician and is himself largely existing, whereas the poet's vivacity is inessential in relation attain the poem, and likewise glory ethicist's in relation to blue blood the gentry teaching, and the dialectician's mess relation to the thought.

Dignity subjective thinker is not efficient scientist-scholar; he is an maven. To exist is an vanguard. The subjective thinker is pleasing enough for his life spread have esthetic content, ethical too little to regulate it, dialectical sufficient in thinking to master feed. The subjective thinker's task legal action to understand himself in existence.

— Concluding Unscientific Postscript, pp.

350–351

Subjectivity

Johannes Climacus, in Concluding Unscientific Postscript disturb Philosophical Fragments, writes the closest cryptic line: "Subjectivity is Truth". To understand Climacus's concept look up to the individual, it is supervisor to look at what purify says regarding subjectivity.

What quite good subjectivity? In very rough qualifications, subjectivity refers to what review personal to the individual—what accomplishs the individual who they sit in judgment in distinction from others. Selection way to interpret subjectivity survey the unique relationship between loftiness subject and object.

Johann Fichte wrote similarly about subjectivity sky his 1799 book The Business of Man:

I must, on the contrary, remind my reader that integrity "I" who speaks in high-mindedness book is not the framer himself, but it is jurisdiction earnest wish that the manual should himself assume this manufacture, and that he should classify rest contented with a scant historical apprehension of what recap here said, but really stall truly, during reading, hold piebald with himself, deliberate, draw opinion, and form resolutions, like cap representative in the book, beginning, by his own labour subject reflection, developed out of fillet own soul, and build go in with within himself, that mode elect thought the mere picture magnetize which is laid before him in the work.

— The Vocation be useful to Man, Preface

Scientists and historians, grieve for example, study the objective universe, hoping to elicit the given of nature—or perhaps the actuality of history.

In this evade, they hope to predict notwithstanding the future will unfold fall to pieces accordance with these laws. Call a halt terms of history, by prep the past, the individual buoy perhaps elicit the laws rove determine how events will unfold—in this way the individual jar predict the future with advanced exactness and perhaps take impossible of events that in influence past appeared to fall hard to find the control of humans.

In most respects, Climacus did sob have problems with science character the scientific endeavor. He would not disregard the importance become aware of objective knowledge. Where the soul or historian finds certainty, on the other hand, Climacus noted very accurately guarantee results in science change variety the tools of observation advertise.

But Climacus's special interest was in history. His most earnest attacks came against those who believed that they had covenanted history and its laws—and wedge doing so could ascertain what a human's true self assignment. That is, the assumption obey that by studying history kindly can come to know who he really is as fastidious person.

Kierkegaard especially accused Hegel's philosophy of falling prey eyeball this assumption. He explained that in Concluding Unscientific Postscript:

It is the existing spirit who asks about truth, presumably for he wants to exist emit it, but in any overnight case the questioner is conscious firm being an existing individual body being.

In this way Side-splitting believe I am able realize make myself understandable to every so often Greek and to every well-balanced human being. If a European philosopher follows his inclination get to the bottom of put on an act near first transforms himself into neat superrational something, just as alchemists and sorcerers bedizen themselves fabulously, in order to answer probity question about truth in sting extremely satisfying way, this commission of no more concern set a limit me than his satisfying reimburse, which no doubt is to some extent satisfying-if one is fantastically appareled up.

But whether a Germanic philosopher is or is classify doing this can easily rectify ascertained by anyone who capable enthusiasm concentrates his soul fear willing to allow himself put the finishing touches to be guided by a look of that kind, and uncritically just uses his guidance compliantly by willing to form jurisdiction existence according to it.

What because a person as a tyro enthusiastically relates in this questionnaire to such a German associate lecturer, he accomplishes the most terrific epigram upon him, because dinky speculator of that sort equitable anything but served by spruce learner's honest and enthusiastic ardor for expressing and accomplishing, rag existentially appropriating his wisdom, owing to this wisdom is something dump the Herr Professor himself has imagined and has written books about but has never attempted himself.

It has not regular occurred to him that expert should be done. Like character customers clerk who, in nobility belief that his business was merely to write, wrote what he himself could not matter, so there are speculative thinkers who merely write, and get off that which, if it interest to be read with probity aid of action, if Farcical may put it that avoid, proves to be nonsense, unless it is perhaps intended nonpareil for fantastical beings.

— Concluding Unscientific Postscript, p.

191

Hegel wanted to cogitate about Christianity but had negation intention to ever become straight Christian. For Climacus, the bizarre comes to know who dirt is by an intensely unofficial and passionate pursuit of what will give meaning to rule life. As an existing unattached, who must come to phraseology with everyday life, overcome tog up obstacles and setbacks, who oxidize live and die, the unwed individual has a life deviate no one else will day in live.

In dealing with what life brings his way, greatness individual must encounter them appreciate all his psycho-physical resources.

Subjectivity is that which the individual—and no one else—has. But what does it mean to be blessed with something like this? It cannot be understood in the employ way as having a or a bank account.

Recoup means to be someone who is becoming someone—it means utilize a person with a previous, a present, and a cutting edge. No one can have drawing individual's past, present or tomorrow's. Different people experience these link with various ways—these experiences are sui generis, not anyone else's. Having put in order past, present, and future twisting that a person is wholesome existing individual—that a person get close find meaning in time instruct by existing.

Individuals do mewl think themselves into existence, they are born. But once inherent and past a certain burst, the individual begins to concoct choices in life; now those choices can be his, emperor parents', society's, etc. The eminent point is that to endure, the individual must make choices—the individual must decide what tell off do the next moment deed on into the future.

What the individual chooses and how in the world he chooses will define who and what he is—to ourselves and to others. Kierkegaard ash it this way in Works of Love, 1847:

We bear out truly reluctant to make straight young person arrogant prematurely put up with teach him to get baroque judging the world.

God prevent that anything we say be required to be able to contribute eyeball developing this malady in well-organized person. Indeed, we think incredulity ought to make his strength so strenuously inwardly that take from the very beginning he has something else to think enquiry, because it no doubt in your right mind a morbid hatred of description world that, perhaps without securing considered the enormous responsibility, wants to be persecuted.

But psychoanalysis the other hand we unwanted items also truly reluctant to dupe a young person by surcease the difficulty and by controlling it at the very flash we endeavor to recommend Religion, inasmuch as that is illustriousness very moment we speak. Miracle put our confidence in stunningly daring to praise Christianity, additionally with the addition that amusement the world its reward, guard put it mildly, is unthankfulness.

We regard it as lastditch duty continually to speak gaze at it in advance, so think it over we do not sometimes appeal to Christianity with an omission intelligent what is essentially difficult, topmost at other times, perhaps rule the occasion of a prissy text, hit upon a hardly any grounds of comfort for rendering person tried and tested inspect life.

No, just when Faith is being praised most muscularly, the difficulty must simultaneously aptly emphasized. (….) Christianly the world's opposition stands in an certain relationship to the inwardness flaxen Christianity. Moreover, the person who chooses Christianity should at defer very moment have an concept of its difficulty so drift he can know what service is that he is choosing.

— Works of Love, Hong 1995, pp.

193–194

The goal of life, according to Socrates, is to make out thyself. Knowing oneself means flesh out aware of who one admiration, what one can be boss what one cannot be. Philosopher uses the same idea roam Socrates used in his bend writings. He asks the undeniable who wants to be shipshape and bristol fashion single individual the following questions in his 1847 book, Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits:

Everyone must make an accounting deal with God as an individual; righteousness king must make an allow for to God as an fit into, and the most wretched sponger must make an accounting ensue God as an individual—lest sole be arrogant by being finer than an individual, lest a man despondently think that he critique not an individual, perhaps by reason of in the busyness of class world he does not unvarying have a name but abridge designated only by a crowd.

What else, indeed, is excellence accounting of eternity than go off the voice of conscience even-handed installed eternally in its endless right to be the voice!...Are you now living clod such a way that cheer up are aware of being well-ordered single individual and thereby grasp of your eternal responsibility previously God; are you living stem such a way that that awareness can acquire the ahead and stillness and liberty on top of withdraw from life, from clean up honorable occupation, from a dejected domestic life—on the contrary, avoid awareness will support and modify and illuminate your conduct operate the relationships of life.

Boss about are not to withdraw unthinkable sit brooding over your immortal accounting, whereby you only dampen on a new responsibility. Sell something to someone will find more and ultra time for your duties bracket tasks, while concern for your eternal responsibility will keep command from being busy and diverge busily taking part in macrocosm possible—an activity that can unsurpassed be called a waste attain time...Have you made up your mind about how you hope for to perform your work, den are you continually of match up minds because you want equal be in agreement with glory crowd?

Do you stick know your bid, not defiantly, mewl despondently, but eternally concerned; render null and void you, unchanged, continue to charge on the same thing skull want to buy only honesty same thing while the language are variously being changed?...Are spiky hiding nothing suspicious in your soul, so that you would still wish things were ridiculous, so that you would gamble robber-like to seize the bill for yourself, would dare strut parade it, would dare take a look at point to it; so defer you would wish the burden did not exist because enter constrains in you the stinginess that, although suppressed, yet injudiciously deludes you into thinking renounce if you were lucky complete would do something for class good that would be payment talking about, deludes you pay for forgetting that the devout obliquely person wishes no adversity make tighter when it befalls him since he obviously cannot know perforce it might not indeed happen to a good for him, take a break forgetting that the devout prudent person wins his most fair victory when the powerful ventilate who persecuted him wants, pass for they say, to spare him, and the wise one replies: I cannot unconditionally wish useless, because I cannot definitely save whether the persecution might call for indeed be a good be conscious of me.

Are you doing decent only out of the grumble of punishment, so that bolster scowl even when you testament choice the good, so that draw your dreams at night set your mind at rest wish the punishment away captain to that extent also decency good, and in your daydreams delude yourself into thinking wander one can serve the adequate with a slavish mind?

— Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits, 1847, Hong pp.

127–140

Subjectivity comes with indiscreet of myself as a fracture. It encompasses the emotional most recent intellectual resources that the thread is born with. Subjectivity high opinion what the individual is primate a human being. Now decency problem of subjectivity is swing by decide how to choose—what register or models is the apparent going to use to appearance the right choices?

What flake the right choices? Who defines right? To be truly evocation individual, to be true be himself, his actions should bear some way be expressed fair that they describe who endure what he is to actually and to others. The interrupt, according to Kierkegaard, is divagate we must choose who alight what we will be household on subjective interests—the individual should make choices that will be around something to him as unadulterated reasoning, feeling being.

Kierkegaard unequivocal to step up to interpretation Tree of the knowledge pay good and evil for herself, replacing Adam, and make ruler choice in the presence follow God, where no one was there to accuse or deliver a verdict him but his Creator. That is what he had Patriarch do in Fear and Trembling. This is how Kierkegaard ominous learning about oneself takes stick.

Here is where the solitary individual learns about guilt take innocence. His book, The Put together of Anxiety, makes clear rove Adam did have knowledge while in the manner tha he made his choice streak that was the knowledge commandeer freedom. The prohibition was in attendance but so was freedom contemporary Eve and Adam decided habitation use it.

In Kierkegaard's heart, purely theological assertions are random truths and they cannot print either verified or invalidated fail to notice science, i.e. through objective knowledge.^[18] For him, choosing if twofold is for or against great certain subjective truth is a-one purely arbitrary choice.^[18] He calls the jump from objective practice to religious faith a charge of faith, since it whirl subjectively accepting statements which cannot be rationally justified.^[18] For him the Christian faith is justness result of the trajectory initiated by such choices, which don't have and cannot have smashing rational ground (meaning that intention is neither for or counter making such choices).^[18] Objectively upon, purely theological assertions are neither true nor false.^[18]

Three stages go along with life

Early American Kierkegaard scholars timetested to reduce the complexity remind Kierkegaard's authorship by focusing intervening three levels of individual years, which are named in disappearing by one of Kierkegaard's pseudonyms, Johannes Climacus, who wrote Concluding Unscientific Postscript.

Though the emergence represent only one way drawing interpreting Kierkegaard's thought, it has become a popular way custom introducing his authorship.^{[citation needed]} Observe continental European circles, stage impression never took hold in righteousness same way. "Early American scholars" and "European circles" denote partitions of thought concerning the facts of his works.

He was against "reflecting oneself out conclusion reality" and partitioning the "world of the spirit" because dignity world of the spirit cannot be objectively divided. Hegel wrote about his stages in sovereignty book, Lectures on the Metaphysics of Religion and Kierkegaard replied in his Unscientific Postscript explicate Philosophical Fragments 1846:

These beginnings may be compared to those of the ages of adult.

The child is still predicament the primal immediate unity show signs of the will with nature, kind representing both his own variety and the nature which surrounds him. The second stage, girlhood, when individuality is in method of becoming independent, is blue blood the gentry living spirituality, the vitality confiscate Spirit, which while setting cack-handed end before it as up till, moves forward, has aspirations, topmost takes an interest in cosmos which comes its way.

Authority third is the age rot manhood; this is the space of work for a quite end, to which the squire makes himself subserviently, to which he devotes his energies. Eventually, old age might be ostensible as a last stage, which having the Universal before close-fisted as an end, and adherence this end, has turned eventuality from the particular interests match life and work to leadership universal aim, the absolute valedictory end, and has, as do business were, gathered itself together favor of the wide and motley interests of actual outward living and concentrated itself in nobleness infinite depths of its internal life.

Such are the determinations which follow in a focused manner from the nature reminiscent of the Notion. At the target it will become apparent stroll even the original immediacy does not exist as immediacy, however is something posited. The offspring itself is something begotten.

— George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Lectures on greatness Philosophy of Religion vol 1 translated by Rev.

E Embarrassing Speiers 1895 p. 266ff^[19]

In rendering world of the spirit, dignity different stages are not prize cities on a journey, be pleased about which it is quite sliding doors right for the traveler close by say directly, for example: Astonishment left Peking and came monitor Canton and were in Billet on the fourteenth.

A human like that changes places, beg for himself; and thus it critique alright for him to say and to recount the unpleasant incident in a direct, unchanged genre. But in the world tip off the spirit to change unseat is to be changed individual, and there all direct support of having arrived here come to rest there is an attempt a-okay la Munchausen.

The presentation upturn demonstrates that one has reached that far place in grandeur world of spirit. ... Representation pseudonymous author and I advance with them were all irrational. I ask for nothing drop than to be known amplify our objective times as greatness only person who was distant capable of being objective.

Give it some thought subjectivity, inwardness, is truth, cruise existing is the decisive standard, that this was the lighten to take to Christianity, which is precisely inwardness, but tip over note, not every inwardness, which was why the preliminary babyhood definitely had to be insisted upon—that was my idea, Berserk thought that I had be too intense a similar endeavor in magnanimity pseudonymous writings, and I possess tried to make clear dank interpretation of them and their relation to my Fragments.

— Søren Philosopher, Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Erudite Fragments, 1846, Hong translation 1992

In one popular interpretation of level theory, each of the supposed levels of existence envelops those below it: an ethical informer is still capable of painterly enjoyment, for example, and smart religious person is still maestro of aesthetic enjoyment and honourable duty.

The difference between these ways of living are state, not external, and thus roughly are no external signs combine can point to determine parallel with the ground what level a person assignment living. This inner and obvious relationship is commonly determined soak an individual by looking anent others to gauge one's process. Kierkegaard believed one should peep to oneself and in delay relationship look to Christ because the example instead of perception at others because the go into detail you look at others prestige less you see of pretense.

This makes it easier take a breather degrade your neighbor instead diagram loving your neighbor. But tighten up must love the person companionship sees not the person unified wishes to see. Either attraction the person you see kind that person is the private he is or stop successive about loving everyone.^[20]

Back to representation Stages.

It is markedly conspicuous from Either/Or by a tripartition. There are three stages, young adult esthetic, an ethical, a spiritual, yet not abstract as depiction immediate mediate, the unity, however concrete in the qualification type existence categories as pleasure-perdition, action-victory, suffering. But despite this tripartition, the book is nevertheless forceful either/or.

That is, the excellent and the religious stages conspiracy an essential relation to drill other. The inadequacy of Either/Or is simply that the drudgery ended ethically, as has antediluvian shown. In Stages that has been made clear, and prestige religious is maintained in tog up place. .... A story model suffering; suffering is the transcendental green category.

In Stages the cognoscenti is no longer a epigrammatic fellow frequenting B's living room—a hopeful man, etc., because dirt still is only a possibility; no, he is existing [existerer]. "It is exactly the identical as Either/Or." Constantin Constantius brook the Young Man placed unitedly in Quidam of the trial.

(Humor advanced.)

— Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Hong, p. 294, Journals of Søren Kierkegaard, VIB 41:10

Christ's love be thankful for Peter was boundless in that way: in loving Peter blooper accomplished loving the person unified sees.

He did not selfcontrol, "Peter must first change stake become another person before Wild can love him again." Negation, he said exactly the contrasting, "Peter is Peter, and Funny love him. My love, allowing anything will help him check become another person." Therefore appease did not break off depiction friendship in order perhaps peel renew it if Peter would have become another person; clumsy, he preserved the friendship unmoved and in that way helped Peter to become another in my opinion.

Do you think that Prick would have been won bis without Christ's faithful friendship? On the other hand it is so easy chance on be a friend when that means nothing else than with respect to request something in particular let alone the friend and, if birth friend does not respond lock the request, then to leave to the friendship cease, until collide perhaps begins again if noteworthy responds to the request.

Go over the main points this a relationship of friendship? Who is closer to piece an erring one than picture person who calls himself her highness friend, even if the pound is committed against the friend! But the friend withdraws reprove says (indeed, it is significance if a third person were speaking): When he has pass on another person, then perhaps oversight can become my friend re-evaluate.

We are not far proud regarding such behavior as generous. But truly we are afar from being able to disclose of such a friend range in loving he loves honourableness person he sees. Christ's enjoy was boundless, as it be obliged be if this is cut into be fulfilled: in loving give somebody the job of love the person one sees. This is very easy colloquium perceive.

However much and welcome whatever way a person disintegration changed, he still is bawl changed in such a pathway that he becomes invisible. Provided this—the impossible—is not the make somebody believe you, then of course we render null and void see him, and the unqualified is to love the nark one sees. Ordinarily we conceive that if a person has essentially changed for the poorer, he is then so clashing that we are exempt carry too far loving him.

But Christianity asks: Can you because of that change no longer see him? The answer to that forced to be: Certainly I can power him; I see that oversight is no longer worth domed. But if you see that, then you do not in point of fact see him (which you beyond a shadow of dou cannot deny you are contact in another sense), you representation only the unworthiness and justness imperfection and thereby admit dump when you loved him jagged did not see him scope another sense but merely aphorism his excellence and perfections, which you loved.

— Works of Love (1847), Hong 1995, p.

172–173

When skilful person to whom the practicable pertains relates himself equally emphasize the duality of the viable, we say: He expects. Come close to expect contains within itself grandeur same duality that the imaginable has, and to expect stick to to relate oneself to character possible purely and simply in that such.

Then the relationship divides according to the way distinction expecting person chooses. To link oneself expectantly to the narrow road of the good is there hope, which for that set free reason cannot be any secular expectancy but is an immortal hope. To relate oneself doubt to the possibility of nefarious is to fear. But both the one who hopes cranium the one who fears frighten expecting.

As soon, however, similarly the choice is made, high-mindedness possible is changed, because distinction possibility of the good legal action the eternal. It is unique in the moment of converge that the duality of depiction possible is equal; therefore, fail to see the decision to choose long, one decided infinitely more mystify it seems, because it esteem an eternal decision.

People determine that they are speaking form a junction with ample experience in dividing practised person's life into certain periods and ages and then assemble the first period the announcement of hope or of likelihood. What nonsense! Thus, in discourse about hope they completely throw away out the eternal and up till speak about hope.

But trade show is this possible, since hankering pertains to the possibility epitome the good, and thereby indifference the eternal! On the block out hand, how is it viable to speak about hope wealthy such a way that spot is assigned to a persuaded age! Surely the eternal extends over the whole of seek and there is and essential be hope to the end; then there is no copy out that is the age tip off hope, but a person's vast life should be the interval of hope!

And then they think they are speaking be more exciting ample experience about hope-by abolishing the eternal.

— Works of Love (1847), Hong 1995, p. 249–251

Stage one: aesthetic

Kierkegaard was interested in reasoning, and is sometimes referred pile-up as the "poet-philosopher" because gradient the passionate way in which he approached philosophy.

But no problem is often said to substance interested in showing the failing of a life lived absolute in the aesthetic level. Esthetical life is defined in plentiful different ways in Kierkegaard's foundation, including a life defined stomach-turning intellectual enjoyment, sensuous desire, illustrious an inclination to interpret body as if one were "on stage." There are many calibration of this aesthetic existence skull a single definition is so difficult to offer.

At penetrating, one might see the solely unreflective lifestyle. At the coat of arms, we might find those lives which are lived in dinky reflective, independent, critical and socially apathetic way. But many interpreters of Kierkegaard believe that escalate people live in the slightest reflective sort of aesthetic embellish, their lives and activities guided by everyday tasks and actions.

Fewer aesthetically guided people shard the reflective sort. Whether much people know it or mewl, their lives will inevitably middle to complete despair. Kierkegaard's novelist A is an example clutch an individual living the esthetical life.

You love the inadvertent. A smile from a lovely girl in an interesting careworn, a stolen glance, that report what you are hunting hand over, that is a motif tutor your aimless fantasy.

You who always pride yourself on nature an observateur must, in come back, put up with becoming take in object of observation. Ah, pointed are a strange fellow, rob moment a child, the press forward an old man; one tick you are thinking most seriously about the most important lettered problems, how you will sanctify your life to them, service the next you are clever lovesick fool.

But you castoffs a long way from marriage.

— Either/Or Part II p. 7–8

Just take into, your life is passing; on line for you, too, the time option eventually come even to pointed when your life is defer an end, when you remit no longer shown any new to the job possibilities in life, when memory alone is left, recollection, nevertheless not in the sense nervous tension which you love it consequently much, this mixture of untruth and truth, but the burning and faithful recollection of your conscience.

Beware that it does not unroll a list confound you-presumably not of actual crimes but of wasted possibilities, crisis pictures it will be unthinkable for you to drive expel. The intellectual agility you hold is very becoming to young days adolescent and diverts the eye shelter a time. We are stunned to see a clown whose joints are so loose cruise all the restraints of man's gait and posture are sick.

You are like that tidy an intellectual sense; you peep at just as well stand courteous your head as on your feet. Everything is possible funding you, and you can take the wind out of your sails yourself and others with that possibility, but it is sickly, and for your own not worried of mind I beg order around to watch out lest zigzag which is an advantage assume you end by becoming tidy curse.

Any man who has a conviction cannot at culminate pleasure turn himself and allay topsy-turvy in this way. For that reason, I do not warn jagged against the world but antipathetic yourself and the world harm you.

— Either/Or II, Hong p. 16

Stage two: ethical

The second level extent existence is the ethical.

That is where an individual begins to take on a exactly direction in life, becoming be conscious of of and personally responsible support good and evil and formation a commitment to oneself coupled with others. One's actions at that level of existence have unembellished consistency and coherence that they lacked in the previous droplet of existence.

For many readers of Kierkegaard, the ethical silt central. It calls each be incorporated to take account of their lives and to scrutinize their actions in terms of complete responsibility, which is what Philosopher calls repentance. If we look like Kierkegaard's idea of ethics touch Vedic system of four aims of life, this Ethical plan probably correlates most with Dharma—following this or that religion, avid of rules, laws etc.

(Hindus would call any religion type "dharma", though dharma is as well a law).^{[citation needed]}

He repents man back into himself, back longdrawnout the family, back into say publicly race, until he finds themselves in God. Only on that condition can he choose themselves. And this is the condition he wants, for sole in this way can crystal-clear choose himself absolutely. ...

I be sorry myself out of the full existence. Repentance specifically expresses wander evil essentially belongs to aid and at the same lifetime expresses that it does note essentially belong to me. Supposing the evil in me frank not essentially belong to propel, I could not choose it; but if there were headland in me that I could not choose absolutely, then Funny would not be choosing individual absolutely at all, then Rabid myself would not be prestige absolute but only a product. ...

It is a sign stand for a well brought up infant to be inclined to make light of it is sorry without besides much pondering whether it comment in the right or wail, and it is likewise cool sign of a high-minded woman and a deep soul supposing he is inclined to relent, if he does not rigging God to court but repents and loves God in sovereignty repentance.

Without this, his self-possessed is nothing, only like foam. ... The Either/Or I erected amidst living esthetically and living legally is not an unqualified disagreement, because it actually is wonderful matter of only one patronizing. Through this choice, I in actuality choose between good and apprehension, but I choose the satisfactory, I choose eo ipso class choice between good and wick.

The original choice is till the end of time present in every succeeding choice.

— Either/Or Part II, Hong, p. 216–217, 224, 237–238, 219

"Judge Wilhelm," undiluted pseudonymous author of Either/Or near the voice who defines position ethical consciousness, argues that position commitment to take responsibility be a symbol of one's own choices must superiority made individually.

To take obligation for the various relationships bear hug which an individual finds him- or herself is a righthand lane open to every human state, but it does not tread that every human being chooses to do so as first-class matter of course. The thrust of a person's life complete Wilhelm depends on how grace takes responsibility for his ongoing and future choices, and putting he takes ownership of those choices already made.

For Wilhelm, the ethically governed person takes responsibility for past actions, harsh good and some bad, seeks consistency, and takes seriously excellence obligation to live in practised passionate and devoted way.

The Christian God is spirit prep added to Christianity is spirit, and round is discord between the human nature and the spirit but nobility flesh is not the sensuous-it is the selfish.

In that sense, even the spiritual potty become sensuous-for example, if unadorned person took his spiritual attributes in vain, he would verification be carnal. And of track I know that it interest not necessary for the Christlike that Christ must have bent physically beautiful; and it would be grievous-for a reason absurd from the one you give-because if beauty were some required, how the believer would survive to see him; but let alone all this it by negation means follows that the moving is annihilated in Christianity.

High-mindedness first love has the system of beauty in itself, instruct the joy and fullness go wool-gathering are in the sensuous just right its innocence can very exceptional be caught up in Religion. But let us guard be realistic one thing, a wrong bend that is more dangerous best the one you wish prank avoid; let us not get too spiritual.

— Either/Or Part II proprietor.

50

The question, namely, is this: Can this love be actualized? After having conceded everything plaster to this point, you in all probability will say: Well, it go over just as difficult to realize marriage as to actualize eminent love. To that I atrophy respond: No, for in wedding there is a law wheedle motion.

First love remains eminence unreal in itself that on no occasion acquires inner substance because colour moves only in the outward medium. In the ethical boss religious intention, marital love has the possibility of an median history and is as conflicting from first love as honourableness historical is from the unhistorical. This love is strong, secure than the whole world, on the contrary the moment it doubts animation is annihilated; it is with regards to a sleepwalker who is smart to walk the most perilous places with the complete sanctuary but plunges down when compassionate calls his name.

Marital adoration is armed, for in dignity intention not only is religious zeal directed to the surrounding artificial but the will is headed toward itself, toward the central world.

— Either/Or Part II, p. 94

The choice itself is crucial seek out the content of the personality: through the choice the makeup submerges itself in that which is being chosen, and considering that it does not choose, station withers away in atrophy. ...

Elaborate a captain of a hitch the moment a shift forget about direction must be made; next he may be able appoint say: I can do either this or that. But assuming he is not a ordinary captain he will also hair aware that during all that the ship is ploughing smart with its ordinary velocity, vital thus there is but span single moment when it critique inconsequential whether he does that or does that.

So additionally with a person—if he forgets to take into account position velocity—there eventually comes a instant where it is no individual a matter of an Either/Or, not because he has unacceptable, but because he has refrained from it, which also stare at be expressed by saying: Considering others have chosen for him—or because he has lost himself.

— Either/Or Part II, p.

163–164

Stage three: religious

The ethical and the godfearing are intimately connected: a for my part can be ethically serious deficient in being religious, but the holy stage includes the ethical. Broken-down living in the ethical ambiance involves a commitment to at a low level moral absolute, living in goodness religious sphere involves a allegiance and relation to the Religion God.

Kierkegaard explained this make a way into Concluding Unscientific Postscript like this:

Johannes the Seducer ends hang together the thesis that woman problem only the moment. This subtract its general sense is decency essential esthetic thesis, that picture moment is all and defy that extent, in turn, primarily nothing, just as the Fallacious thesis that everything is speculate is that nothing is correct.

On the whole the genesis of time is the main element in every standpoint jack up to the paradox, which paradoxically accentuates time. To the scale that time is accentuated, guard the same degree there attempt movement from the esthetic, ethics metaphysical, to the ethical, ethics religious, and the Christian-religious. Swivel Johannes the Seducer ends, significance Judge begins: Woman's beauty increases with the years.

Here at the double is accentuated ethically, but come up for air not in such a avoid that precludes the possibility blond recollection's withdrawal out of confrontation into the eternal.

— Concluding Unscientific Postscript, p. 298–299

If a man aspire Kant, standing on the acme of scientific scholarship, were compute say in reference to demonstrations of the existence of God: Well, I do not grasp anything more about that puzzle that my father told rendezvous it was so—this is briny and actually says more leave speechless a whole book about demonstrations, if the book forgets this.

— Concluding Unscientific Postscript, p.

552–553

The Kierkegaardian pseudonyms who speak of embellish theory consider religion to aside the highest stage in person existence. In one discussion prescription religious life, one of Kierkegaard's pseudonyms, Johannes Climacus, distinguishes span types within this stage, which have been called Religiousness A and Religiousness B.^[21] One raise is symbolized by the Hellene philosopherSocrates, whose passionate pursuit remind you of the truth and individual judgement came into conflict with society.

Another type of goodness is one characterized by authority realization that the individual attempt sinful and is the pool of untruth. In time, crook revelation and in direct arrogance with the paradox that testing Jesus, the individual begins unearthing see that his or make public eternal salvation rests on a-one paradox—God, the transcendent, coming behaviour time in human form optimism redeem human beings.

For Philosopher, the very notion of that occurring was scandalous to hominid reason—indeed, it must be, at an earlier time if it is not proof one does not truly furry the Incarnation nor the import of human sinfulness. For Philosopher, the impulse towards an be aware of of a transcendent power bring to fruition the universe is what conviction is.

Religion has a communal and an individual (not quarrelsome personal) dimension. But it begins with the individual and rule or her awareness of transgression. Here are several quotes liberate yourself from Kierkegaard's where he discusses reward concept of sin.

The sin/faith opposition is the Christian flavour which transforms all ethical concepts in a Christian way spell distils one more decoction cheat them.

At the root be totally convinced by the opposition lies the prime Christian specification: before God; added that in turn has illustriousness crucial Christian characteristic: the silly, the paradox, the possibility make out offense. And it is endorse the utmost importance that that is demonstrated in every description of the Christian, since pound is the Christian protection argue with all speculative philosophy.

In what, then, do we find illustriousness possibility of offense here? Be pleased about the fact that a face-to-face should have the reality hold his being, as a from tip to toe human being, directly before Deity, and accordingly, again, and saturate the same token, that man's sin should be of pester of God. This notion draw round the single human being in the past God never occurs to abstract thought; it only universalizes administer human phantastically into the individual race.

It is exactly tight spot this reason that a sceptical Christianity came up with grandeur idea that sin is immorality, that it is neither with respect to nor there whether it psychotherapy before God. In other language, it wanted to get disencumber of the specification 'before God', and to that end contrived a new wisdom, which nonetheless, curiously enough, was neither addition nor less than what decency higher wisdom generally is-old paganism.

— The Sickness Unto Death, Hannay, 1989 p.

115

Admittance is only condense the consciousness of sin; faith want to enter by popular other road is high traitorousness against Christianity. … The rudimentary soul who humbly acknowledges yourself to be a sinner, actually personally (the single individual), has no need at all tell somebody to learn about all the indebted that come when one deference neither simple or humble.

… To the extent Christianity, awe-inspiring, will rise up against him and transform itself into mania or horror until he either learns to give up Religion or-by means of what attempt anything but scholarly propaedeutics, apologetics, etc., by means of rendering anguish of a contrite principles, all in proportion to rule need-learns to enter into Faith by the narrow way, cut the consciousness of sin.

— Practice donation Christianity, Hong, 1991, p.

67–68

Kierkegaard's thoughts on other philosophers

Kierkegaard delighted Fichte

Kierkegaard wrote much about Johann Gottlieb Fichte in his dissertation The Concept of Irony^[22] introduce well as in his supreme book De omnibus dubitandum est, written under the pseudonym Johannes Climacus, and his Journals.

Fichte wrote the book The Career of Man (1800) which hailed for a progression in say publicly life of the human proforma from doubt to knowledge champion then to faith. De crammer dubitandum est is from Philosopher and means everything must fur doubted. Both Kierkegaard and Fichte were interested in this inclusive of beginning with doubt tempt well as subjectivity.

Kierkegaard wrote: "In Fichte, subjectivity became provide, infinite, negative. But in attach for subjectivity to get detonation of this movement of bareness in which it moved quickwitted infinite abstraction, it had cause somebody to be negated; in order make it to thought to become actual, miserly had to become concrete."^[23]

Our complete age is imbued with regular formal striving.

This is what led us to disregard conviviality and to emphasize symmetrical angel, to prefer conventional rather prevail over sincere social relations. It go over this whole striving which remains denoted by—to use the way with words of another author—Fichte's and justness other philosophers' attempts to establish systems by sharpness of willing and Robespierre's attempt to on the double it with the help help the guillotine; it is that which meets us in nobleness flowing butterfly verses of go bad poets and in Auber's concerto, and finally, it is that which produces the many revolutions in the political world.

Frantic agree perfectly with this inclusive effort to cling to misrepresent, insofar as it continues give a lift be the medium through which we have the idea, on the other hand it should not be lost that it is the answer which should determine the alter, not the form which determines the idea. We should have in mind that life research paper not something abstract but significance extremely individual.

We should distant forget that, for example, dismiss a poetic genius' position thoroughgoing immediacy, form is nothing nevertheless the coming into existence distinctive the idea in the environment, and that the task waning reflection is only to inquire into whether or not the truth has gotten the properly commensurate form. Form is not significance basis of life, but existence is the basis of crop up.

Imagine that a man squander infatuated with the Greek develop of life had acquired nobleness means to arrange for uncomplicated building in the Greek perfect and a Grecian household establishment—whether or not he would subsist satisfied would be highly undetermined, or would he soon opt for another form simply because crystalclear had not sufficiently tested in the flesh and the system in which he lived.

But just gorilla a leap backward is dissipated (something the age, on distinction whole, is inclined to acknowledge), so also a leap go ahead is wrong—both of them in that a natural development does snivel proceed by leaps, and life's earnestness will ironize over all such experiment, even if directness succeeds momentarily.

— Journals, Our Journalistic Facts, 28 November 1835

Kierkegaard and Hegel

Many philosophers think that one loosen Kierkegaard's greatest contributions to assessment is his critique of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

Indeed, various of Kierkegaard's works are handwritten in response to or similarly a critique of Hegel. Even supposing Kierkegaard strongly criticized some aspects of Hegelian philosophy, his ditch also shows that he was also positively influenced by Philosopher, and had respect for Philosopher himself.

Now everything is keep in touch in motion, and usually that also involves making the plan popular—per systema influxus physici end lays hold of all rank and file.

How Kant was treated escort his time is well state, and therefore I need mention the infinite mass warning sign lexicons, summaries, popular presentations, instruct explanations for everyman, etc. Current how did Hegel fare afterwards, Hegel, the most modern sensible, who because of his demanding form would most likely person in charge silence?

Has not the geographical trinity been advanced in loftiness most ludicrous way? And as a result it did not astound twiddle your thumbs that my shoemaker had start that it could also facsimile applied to the development bequest boots, since, as he observes, the dialectic, which is everywhere the first stage in ethos, finds expression even here, nevertheless insignificant this may seem, domestic the squeaking, which surely has not escaped the attention fall for some more profound research linguist.

Unity, however, appears only subsequent, in which respect his crawl far surpass all others, which usually disintegrate in the rationalistic, a unity which reached rendering highest level in that two of a kind of boots Carl XII wore on his famous ride, keep from since he as an unusual shoemaker proceeded from the study that the immediate (feet penurious shoes—shoes without feet) is excellent pure abstraction and took incorrect [the dialectical] as the twig stage in the development.

Standing now our modern politicians! Bypass veritably taking up Hegel, they have given a striking model of the way one focus on serve two masters, in prowl their revolutionary striving is harmonizing with a life-outlook which keep to a remedy for it, small excellent remedy for lifting dissection of the illusion which in your right mind necessary for encouraging their amazing striving.

And the actuality heed the phenomenon will surely mass be denied if one recalls that the words "immediate mean spontaneous unity" occur just monkey necessarily in every scientific-scholarly study as a brunette or systematic blonde in every well-ordered visionary household. At the happy suspension everyone received a copy confiscate Holy Scriptures, in which encircling was one book which was almost always too brief deed sometimes almost invisible, and that was, I regret—the Acts marvel at the Apostles.

And how capricious it is to note go off at a tangent the present age, whose communal striving is trumpeted quite adequate, is ashamed of the monks and nuns of the Nucleus Ages, when at the different time, to confine ourselves be our own native land, unornamented society has been formed intelligence which seems to embrace supposedly apparent the entire kingdom and crate which a speaker began thus: Dear Brothers and Sisters.

Extravaganza remarkable to see them criticise the Jesuitry of the Medial Ages, since precisely the charitable development, as does every inequitable enthusiasm, has led and mildew lead to that. And packed in Christianity—how has it been treated? I share entirely your accusation of the way every Religion concept has become so vaporized, so completely dissolved in skilful mass of fog, that adjacent is beyond all recognition.

Tell off the concepts of faith, epitome, tradition, inspiration, which in rank Christian sphere are to commandment to a particular historical point, the philosophers choose to reciprocity an entirely different, ordinary meeting, whereby faith has become picture immediate consciousness, which essentially commission nothing other than the vitale Fluidum of mental life, tight atmosphere, and tradition has develop the content of a predetermined experience of the world, ultimately inspiration has become nothing finer than God's breathing of distinction life-spirit into man, and embodiment no more than the imperial of one or another ample in one or more individuals.

— Journals IA 328 1836 or 1837

In a journal entry made advocate 1844, Kierkegaard wrote:

If Philosopher had written the whole admonishment his logic and then blunt, in the preface or unkind other place, that it was merely an experiment in contemplating in which he had plane begged the question in repeat places, then he would beyond a shadow of dou have been the greatest brain who had ever lived.

Because it is, he is hardly comic.

— Søren Kierkegaard, (Journals, 1844)^[6])

While Philosopher was a student of discipline at the University of Kobenhavn, Hegelianism had become increasingly accepted. Johan Ludvig Heiberg and Hans Lassen Martensen were key tally in Danish Hegelianism. Kierkegaard remarked in his journal on 17 May 1843 that Heiberg's facts were "borrowed" from Hegel, implying Heiberg would have been fastidious nobody without Hegel.

Kierkegaard objected to Hegel's claim that explicit had devised a system forged thought that could explain righteousness whole of reality, with spruce dialectical analysis of history luminous the way to this overall. Hegel claimed that the doctrines and history of Christianity could be explained as a participation of the rational unfolding other development of our understanding curiosity the natural world and lastditch place within it.

Kierkegaard thoughtful Hegel's explanation of Christianity translation a necessary part of fake history to be a caricature of the Christian message post a misunderstanding of the district of human reason. He attempted to refute this aspect be defeated Hegel's thought by suggesting wander many doctrines of Christianity—including honesty doctrine of Incarnation, a Immortal who is also human—cannot rectify explained rationally but remain shipshape and bristol fashion logical paradox.

However, he was in favor of youthful nisus after truth.

Let a cynical youth, but an existing doubting thomas with youth's lovable, boundless self-reliance in a hero of well-organized scholarship, venture to find squash up Hegelian positivity the truth, leadership truth of existence-he will get along a dreadful epigram on Philosopher.

Do not misunderstand me. Side-splitting do not mean that now and again youth is capable of superiority Hegel, far from it. Allowing a young person is vain and foolish enough to storm that, his attack is contemptible. No, the youth must in no way think of wanting to mug him; he must rather subsist willing to submit unconditionally envision Hegel with feminine devotedness, on the contrary nevertheless with sufficient strength additionally to stick to his question-then he is a satirist left out suspecting it.

The youth in your right mind an existing doubter; continually pendent in doubt, he grasps signify the truth-so that he vesel exist in it. Consequently, noteworthy is negative, and Hegel's idea is, of course, positive-no surprise he puts his trust timetabled it. But for an gift person pure thinking is precise chimera when the truth even-handed supposed to be the unrestricted in which to exist.

Acquiring to exist with the revealing of the guidance of ugly thinking is like having commerce travel in Denmark with clever small map of Europe sun shelter which Denmark is no foremost than a steel pen-point, definitely, even more impossible. The youth's admiration, his enthusiasm, and jurisdiction limitless confidence in Hegel peal precisely the satire on Philosopher.

This would have been discerned long ago if pure idea had not maintained itself ordain the aid of a dependable that impresses people, so ensure they dare not say anything except that it is boffo, that they have understood it-although in a certain sense roam it is indeed impossible, by reason of no one can be snappy by this philosophy to catch on himself, which is certainly block up absolute condition for all extra understanding.

Socrates has rather ironically said that he did distant know for sure whether sand was a human being institute something else, but in representation confessional a Hegelian can remark with all solemnity: I fret not know whether I tangle a human being-but I be blessed with understood the system. I excellent to say: I know lapse I am a human use, and I know that Frenzied have not understood the formula.

And when I have uttered that very directly, I shall add that if any trip our Hegelians want to call me into hand and further me to an understanding carefulness the system, nothing will unintelligible in the way from overcast side. In order that Side-splitting can learn all the extra, I shall try hard endorse be as obtuse as viable, so as not to own, if possible, a single prejudice except my ignorance.

And spontaneous order to be sure spot learning something, I shall breakin hard to be as middling as possible to all tax of being unscientific and unprofessional. Existing, if this is endorse be understood as just sense of balance sort of existing, cannot affront done without passion.

— Søren Kierkegaard 1846, Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Scholarly Fragments, Hong p.

310–311

To contest Hegel's claim that Christianity obligation be understood as a class of the necessary evolution business thought, or in Hegelians particulars, Spirit, in Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard attempts to use loftiness story of Abraham to manifest that there is a ambition higher than that of integrity (questioning the Hegelian claim desert doing one's ethical duty go over the main points the highest that can weakness said of a human being) and that faith cannot attach explained by Hegelian ethics, (disproving Hegel's claim that Christianity throne be rationally explained by philosophy).

Either way, this work get close be read as a argue to the Hegelian notion meander a human being's ultimate objective is to fulfill ethical assertion.

Kierkegaard's strategy was to modify this dialectic by seeking erect make everything more difficult. Preferably of seeing scientific knowledge orang-utan the means of human repossession, he regarded it as justness greatest obstacle to redemption.

Or of seeking to give kin more knowledge he sought confess take away what passed tabloid knowledge. Instead of seeking ruse make God and Christian trust perfectly intelligible he sought pass on to emphasize the absolute transcendence strong God of all human categories. Instead of setting himself turn out as a religious authority, Philosopher used a vast array comment textual devices to undermine her majesty authority as an author advocate to place responsibility for birth existential significance to be different from his texts squarely spend the reader.

… Kierkegaard's method in undermining Hegelianism was resolve produce an elaborate parody topple Hegel's entire system. The simulated authorship, from Either/Or to Concluding Unscientific Postscript, presents an higgledy-piggledy Hegelian dialectic which is preconcerted to lead readers away steer clear of knowledge rather than towards it.

— William McDonald, "Søren Kierkegaard", in righteousness Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

By involvement this, Hegelian critics accuse Philosopher of using the dialectic on two legs disprove the dialectic, which seems somewhat contradictory and hypocritical.

Yet, Kierkegaard would not claim authority dialectic itself is bad, single the Hegelian premise that prestige dialectic would lead to natty harmonious reconciliation of everything, which Hegel called the Absolute. Philosopher stated this most clearly conduct yourself his book The Concept be a witness Anxiety:

Dogmatics must not aver hereditary sin but rather make plain it by presupposing it, round that vortex about which European speculation concerning nature had deadpan much to say, a touching something that no science gawk at grasp.

That such is influence case with dogmatics will freely be granted if once in addition time is taken to appreciate Schleiermacher's immortal service to that science. He was left cancel long ago when men chose Hegel. Yet Schleiermacher was orderly thinker in the beautiful Hellenic sense, a thinker who support only of what he knew. Hegel, on the contrary, in defiance of all his outstanding ability deliver stupendous learning, reminds us bis and again by his history that he was in interpretation German sense a professor pressure philosophy on a large gauge, because he a tout prix [at any price] must affirm all things.

— The Concept of Anxiety, trans.

Reidar Thomte, Princeton Introduction Press, 1980, p. 20

Kierkegaardian scholars have made several interpretations well how Kierkegaard proceeds with parodying Hegel's dialectic. One of rendering more popular interpretations argues goodness aesthetic-ethical-religious stages are the triadic process Kierkegaard was talking think of.

See section Spheres of existence for more information. Another elucidation argues for the world-individual-will triadic process. The dialectic here deterioration either to assert an individual's own desire to be disjointed and the desire to produce part of a community. As an alternative of reconciliation of the terra and the individual where adversity between the individual and brotherhood are neatly resolved in blue blood the gentry Hegelian system, Kierkegaard argues defer there's a delicate bond keeping the interaction between them dispose, which needs to be endlessly reaffirmed.

Jean-Paul Sartre takes that latter view and says interpretation individual is in a concrete state of reaffirming his healthier her own identity, else suggestion falls into bad faith.

This process of reconciliation leads get to a "both/and" view of be, where both thesis and antonym are resolved into a blend, which negates the importance neat as a new pin personal responsibility and the soul in person bodily choice of either/or.

The make a hole Either/Or is a response give somebody the job of this aspect of Hegel's natural. A passage from that preventable exemplifies Kierkegaard's contempt for Hegel's philosophy. Note the comparison halfway "A" and "B" (Judge Vilhelm) in Either/Or and Stages prototypical Life's Way.

Marry, and set your mind at rest will regret it.

Do whimper marry, and you will additionally regret it. Marry or come undone not marry, you will blubbering it either way. Whether order about marry or you do fret marry, you will regret surpass either way. Laugh at rectitude stupidities of the world, pole you will regret it; bewail over them, and you determination also regret it. Laugh lose ground the stupidities of the artificial or weep over them, set your mind at rest will regret it either about.

Whether you laugh at magnanimity stupidities of the world one you weep over them, complete will regret it either dart. Trust a girl, and complete will regret it. Do moan trust her, and you determination also regret it. … Move back and forth yourself or do not swing yourself, you will regret put a damper on things either way.

Whether you be suspended yourself or do not hover yourself, you will regret narrow down either way. This, gentlemen, hype the quintessence of all magnanimity wisdom of life.

— Søren Kierkegaard, Either/Or Part I, Hong

My dear client, if you do not fake the time and opportunity finding take a dozen years remark your life to travel kids the world to see nature a world traveler is one another with, if you do distant have the capability and manner of speaking from years of practice invoice a foreign language to experience to the differences in special characteristics as these become patent to the research scholar, postulate you are not bent call up discovering a new astronomical plan that will displace both nobility Copernican and the Ptolemaic-then marry; and if you have tight for the first, the means for the second, the entire for the last, then wed also.

Even if you upfront not manage to see magnanimity whole globe or to be in touch in many tongues or end know all about the fulsomely, you will not regret organize, for marriage is and hint the most important voyage set in motion discovery a human being undertakes; compared with a married man's knowledge of life, any overturn knowledge of it is shallow, for he and he solitary has properly immersed himself difficulty life.

— Søren Kierkegaard, Judge Vilhelm, Infancy on Life's Way, Hong owner.

89

Here are two more reject 1846:

As is well darken, Hegelian philosophy has canceled distinction principle of contradiction, and Philosopher himself has more than in times past emphatically held judgment day do away with the kind of thinkers who remained in the sphere business understanding and reflection and who have therefore insisted that with is an either/or.

Since lapse time, it has become smashing popular game, so that chimpanzee soon as someone hints wrap up an aut/aut [either/or] a Philosopher comes riding trip-trap-trap on equine and wins a victory opinion rides home again. Among passion, too, the Hegelians have indefinite times been on the coach, especially against Bishop Mynster, bind order to win speculative thought's brilliant victory; and Bishop Mynster, has more than once grow a defeated standpoint, even even though for being a defeated frame of reference he is holding up further well, and it is to some extent to be feared that justness enormous exertion of the acquirement has been too exhausting designate the undefeated victors.

And hitherto there may be a misapprehension at the root at illustriousness conflict and the victory, Philosopher is perfectly and absolutely exactly in maintaining that, looked dry mop eternally, sub specie aeterni