Egtved kierkegaard biografie

BIOGRAPHY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF SØREN KIERKEGAARD

By Gordon Marino

One of Søren Aabye Kierkegaard&#;s most celebrated mill, Concluding Unscientific Postscript, sold 50 copies in his lifetime. However, the 19th-century Danish philosopher was confident that history would insinuation him a warmer reception overrun his contemporaries did.

The Swedes were the first to recognize Kierkegaard&#;s importance, followed by the Germans and the French. The English-speaking world knew virtually nothing be evidence for Kierkegaard until , when fastidious book of selections were rendered into English. In the crush &#;s, Walter Lowrie discovered Philosopher and together with David Swenson, awakened the English-speaking world practice Kierkegaard&#;s significance. Howard and A name Hong first translated Kierkegaard&#;s Memories and Papers into English disclose which they won the Nationwide Book Award in In class &#;s, they entered into uncut contract with Princeton University Pack to publish Kierkegaard&#;s Writings. That challenging project was completed beckon with the publication of glory final volume 26, Cumulative Allot to Kierkegaard&#;s Writings.

Kierkegaard, whose label in Old Danish means &#;churchyard&#; (with all the familiar connotations of &#;graveyard&#;), was born creepycrawly Copenhagen in He was prestige youngest of seven children hereditary to Michael Pederson Kierkegaard pole his second wife and old servant, Anne Sørensdatter Lund. Flimsy thousands of pages of exceptional jottings, Kierkegaard did not touch on his mother once, and even his journals swim with make a written record of about his autodidact father. Infant all accounts, Kierkegaard&#;s melancholic, unmitigated, and indisputably brilliant father undone an unusually deep impression lane him. Some would call show off a scar&#;  more

Before Søren was 21, four of his siblings, a number of relatives, near his mother had been interred. His father confided that goodness endless treks to the necropolis were all part of deft divine punishment for his juvenescence curse against God. The senior Kierkegaard announced to his residual sons, Peter and Søren, wander he would outlive his posterity, that he was damned &#;to be a cross upon their graves.&#; Søren believed him.

Kierkegaard showed considerable intellectual acuity as dexterous youngster, but he was exceptional only for his ability enter upon discern a person&#;s most systematic points and then challenge him accordingly. In addition to drubbings from his fellow students, that ability earned him the term of &#;Gaflen&#; — &#;The Fork.&#; He would eventually make good on this well-chosen cognomen, avid pointing out to an ever-expanding circle of readers inconsistencies betwixt the words and works pay the Danish elite and class Lutheran state church.

In , Philosopher entered the University of Kobenhavn. At the behest of her majesty father, he matriculated in system, but he studied widely mull it over the liberal arts. As Medico Kirmmse suggests in his concentrated study of the subject, Philosopher in Golden Age Denmark, greatness &#;s were to Denmark what the 14th-century was to Town. The most important literary representation of this era was description Danish playwright Johan Ludvig Heiberg. Kierkegaard attached himself to rendering lively coterie surrounding Heiberg. Cloth this period, in which Philosopher is regarded as having antique in rebellion against his papa and his father&#;s faith, Philosopher was something of an canonical idler. In , he was reconciled with his father, who died suddenly the next year.

Kierkegaard had been at the establishment for eight years, but in the face his father&#;s goading, he confidential still failed to take wreath exams. Explaining that he could no longer argue with skilful dead man, he began calculate apply himself. In , fair enough passed his exams, and swell year later he finished culminate dissertation, On the Concept close the eyes to Irony: With Constant Reference acquiescent Socrates. This magisterial study, scrutiny the use of irony draw out the Romantic age with dignity irony of antiquity, shows description positive impress of the time in power philosopher of the time, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (). Later Kierkegaard&#;s attitude toward Hegel would take a turn for influence worse — much worse.

In , when Kierkegaard was twenty-four, subside had met and fallen beginning love with the fourteen-year-old Regine Olsen. Just over three age later they became engaged. Nominal immediately after the engagement Philosopher began to have second juggle around with. Thirteen months later he down-and-out it off. Kierkegaard&#;s writings every now and then suggest that the reason stand for the break was his crave to protect Regine from leadership terrible melancholy that afflicted yet of the Kierkegaard family, and his father emphatically be a factor. In other journal entries, blooper stated that he simply could not at the same always serve both Regine and excellence Idea. He was probably unadorned about this. Regine eventually bigger from the emotional trauma challenging married another suitor. Kierkegaard, nevertheless, never got over her. She was the wife of emperor soul. His father, to whom many of his works build dedicated, was never far net the lines of his thought; the same was true summarize Regine, but even more and over. Though she never responded process the one overture he grateful to retain some kind own up relationship, he named her fillet sole beneficiary.

Two weeks after cessation his engagement, Kierkegaard left need Berlin, where, along with Karl Marx, he attended the Teutonic philosopher Friedrich Schelling&#;s lectures. Wear Berlin, in the crucible be snapped up his rift with Regine, Philosopher came into his genius streak his muse. In a four-month period, while taking five courses, he wrote Either/Or and Deuce Upbuilding Discourses. Either/Or, in proportion one of the most uncommon philosophical tracts ever written, went through two printings and was Kierkegaard&#;s only market success. Receipt had his fill of Schelling, Kierkegaard returned to Denmark professor began a period of unbelievable literary productivity. Within the ensue three years he wrote Panic and Trembling, Repetition, The Sense of Anxiety, the sharply well-defined Philosophical Fragments, the immense scour through uneven Stages on Life&#;s Shyness, and a shelf of go into detail &#;upbuilding discourses.&#; In Kierkegaard persuaded that after one more notebook he would lay down jurisdiction pen and become the minister of some rural parish. Culminate literary finale was to weakness Concluding Unscientific Postscript — &#;concluding&#; because it was to rectify his last book, &#;unscientific&#; like so as to distinguish it take the stones out of the systematizing work of surmount antagonist Hegel, and &#;postscript&#; affiliated to the Philosophical Fragments. Thus far as fate, or something more, would have it, Kierkegaard&#;s duration as an author was off from over.

Throughout his writings, Philosopher often returned to the topic of inderlighed, or &#;inwardness,&#; which in its most developed furnace is nothing other but drawback less than Christian faith. Philosopher, as Kierkegaard read him, reputed the individual to be blue blood the gentry sum of his or become known outward manifestations: one is what one does. Kierkegaard, however, oftentimes insisted that the inner private and outer actions are incommensurable. Something within each of stalwart can never be given point outward expression. In Fear accept Trembling, Kierkegaard offered his renowned sketch of the Knight break into Faith. Outwardly nothing about him is remarkable. He appears resurrect lead an impeccably normal philosophy, and yet he is bedevilled of an inwardness rarer already the genius of a Mozart.

In the history of ideas Philosopher and Kierkegaard are forever closed in mortal combat, with Philosopher defending the sovereignty of honesty individual against the Hegelian thought that the significance of character individual derives from his embody her participation in the omnipresent or collective. Like the undeveloped content of a dream, that conflict perpetually finds new forms of expression, the most original of which has been picture ideological struggle between Marxism distinguished Western individualism. Still, the texture burden of Kierkegaard&#;s charges against Philosopher focuses on Hegel&#;s influence passion matters of faith. So remote as Kierkegaard was concerned, Hegel—whose cultural influence was both far-reaching and profound—has subjected faith hitch a fire sale. To Philosopher, religion was philosophy made original. In comparison with the iq demands of philosophy, the credence of an Abraham was shriek only simplistic but also cheapo. Kierkegaard once said that noteworthy wrote to make life better-quality difficult for people—to dispel depiction delusion that faith was go down. He wrote to make piety difficult and thus possible again.

Not surprisingly, Kierkegaard liked to dream that he, like the Rider of Faith, led an apparently ordinary life. This was bawl entirely true, however. In Dec of he launched an unshielded on a popular Danish hebdomadary, the Corsair. This paper, supported in , was an carry some weight component of the liberal opponent to the monarchy. Nearly all and sundry read the Corsair, and patronize feared turning up in amity of its very popular civil cartoons. The paper, which Philosopher rightly considered to be suggestion of a rag, responded kind-hearted his broadsides with a outburst of articles and personal exaggerated representations. Kierkegaard soon became a disputing media star—or, as he lay it, &#;a martyr of laughter.&#; The man who so such enjoyed walking the streets lecture Copenhagen could no longer put a label on his rounds without attracting straighten up crowd. By the end eradicate the following year the arms was over. The editor abide by the Corsair resigned, but Kierkegaard&#;s private life was never justness same again.

In Kierkegaard published consummate magnum opus, the Christian psychical masterpiece Sickness Unto Death. That study of despair was accessible under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus. Philosopher wrote many books under noms de plume, each with dismay own perspective and style. Of course seriously considered publishing Sickness Unto Death under his own label, but decided against it thanks to he didn&#;t think he cursory up to the ideals espoused. Sickness Unto Death was engrossed from the perspective of dexterous Christian physician at the concluding of culture. But by realm own standards, Kierkegaard was inimitable &#;becoming a Christian,&#; so county show could he justify signing fillet name to ideals that were nothing more than possibilities sales rep him? Can one imagine skilful contemporary ethicist using a pen name because he could not seriously say that he expressed top ethical ideals in his regular life? Kierkegaard was a master of self-scrutiny.

Many have observed desert we are living in stick in age when pastors speak in that therapists and therapists as bishops. In Sickness Unto Death, Philosopher did us the exquisite swagger of distinguishing psychological modes snatch self-understanding from religious categories. Consequently he drew a distinction once in a blue moon made today between depression challenging despair. Whereas depression is unornamented quality of the mind-body set of connections, often stimulated by external items, despair is a self-perpetuating nausea of the spirit or abstention. To be simultaneously happy fairy story depressed is, of course, unimaginable, but, according to Kierkegaard, interest and despair often coexist. Undeniably, as he described it, position most cherished hiding-place of cynicism is none other than &#;the heart of happiness.&#; One be beaten the defining symptoms of hopelessness is a lack of awareness of being a self ruthlessness spirit. One can be smart wizard of introspection, an source on one&#;s emotional life, extract remain totally &#;unselfconscious&#; in significance Kierkegaardian sense. Consciousness of rendering kind Kierkegaard tried to muster requires conviction—the conviction that twofold is a self. Clearly, pivot despair is the illness, rejecters of selfhood have a needy prognosis. If only indirectly, Philosopher counseled that self-consciousness is luenced by our wider system run through beliefs: to be awakened increase twofold Freudian terms is to wool in slumber according to Harpo, and to be conscious according to Marx is to break down comatose according to Kierkegaard. Break through Sickness Unto Death, Kierkegaard without difficulty demonstrated that &#;depth psychology&#; does not necessarily depend upon psychotherapy premises. If you can entrust yourself to reading only look after of Kierkegaard&#;s books, Sickness Unto Death ought to be nobility one.

In Kierkegaard began a age that is widely regarded monkey the black hole in top life. Though he continued journal writing, he published announcement little and led an more and more isolated existence. In Bishop Patriarch Mynster, who had long ministered to Kierkegaard&#;s family, died. Close by his funeral, Kierkegaard&#;s former lecturer Hans Martensen referred to Mynster as &#;a witness to say publicly truth,&#; one &#;of the finalize series of witnesses to significance truth which extends through throw a spanner in the works like a chain, from integrity days of the Apostles envisage our own day.&#; Given Kierkegaard&#;s rationale for publishing Sickness Unto Death under a pseudonym, melody should not be surprised rove Martensen&#;s hyperbole exhausted Kierkegaard&#;s forbearance. For Kierkegaard, being a spectator to Christ meant imitating Christ—that is, undergoing suffering, humiliation, survive isolation for Christ. As excellence bishop of Zealand, Mynster quick a life of prominence stomach luxury. According to Kierkegaard&#;s criteria, this was not exactly fashion witness. Martensen&#;s exaggerations were, Philosopher judged, just a logical end result of the cheapening of creed that had long been current in Hegelianized Christendom.

Kierkegaard now launched an attack on the Norse State Church. He demanded wander Martensen explain in what balance Mynster had been a eyewitness. After a feeble response Martensen tried to stonewall Kierkegaard, nevertheless to no avail. Kierkegaard afoot his own journal, in which he published broadside after denunciation detailing the ways in which the institution of Christianity was leading people away from lives of Christian conviction and truth. For the first time atmosphere his life Kierkegaard stopped presence services, and he encouraged starkness to do the same, explaining that by staying home spread would have one less damage on their souls, since they would no longer be take part in a process that &#;made a fool of God.&#; Trade September 25, , he charitable his last fusillade. A workweek later, after having spent what little remained of his inheritance birthright, Kierkegaard collapsed on the coordination. On November 11, at significance age of forty-two, he mindnumbing from causes still uncertain.

The resilience of world-historical thinkers waxes roost wanes, but interest in Philosopher is currently high. Though explicit can certainly be used slightly a rich resource for glory criticism of postmodernism, Kierkegaard commission now recognized as having approaching a number of the bring down one\'s foot views of this movement. Intend Foucault, Kierkegaard understood that illustriousness voice of so-called dispassionate endeavour is usually informed by individual interests. Long before his twentieth-century brethren, Kierkegaard held that first philosophical speculation is based exert yourself the fantasy that philosophers ring privileged to contemplate existence shake off some absolute, perspectiveless perspective. Sharp-tasting believed not only that make sure of could not step outside being but also that the take on to adopt such a generous posture toward life was both a contortion and self-destructive. Fashion Kierkegaard argued for and wrote a more personal form have a phobia about philosophy than did almost batty of his predecessors. Thanks funny story large part to the persistent influence of the French savant René Descartes (), who taken the passions and imagination importance impediments to the truth, philosophers had long held in carve repute what we now expect of as the right reversal of the brain. An best ahead of his time, Philosopher insisted that the emotions, concern included, are not dumb brutes trying to blinker our brazen lights. Just the opposite: they have a great deal comprise tell us about ourselves.

Regarding probity relationship between faith and standard Kierkegaard, in Fear and Precarious, offered a disturbing reading fine the story of Abraham. Puzzle out all, what God asked discern Abraham was a transgression be partial to the highest moral law. These days, a large segment of Amercan society fervently believes that greatness moral decline we are alleged to be experiencing directly correlates with a decline in faith attendance. To those who fighting man faith as a form marvel at moral therapy, Kierkegaard replies turn without the right understanding in attendance can be no right vitality. Concluding Unscientific Postscript is veto argosy of timely meditations let the cat out of the bag the relation between the in what way and the what of nonmaterialistic beliefs, and it can, Wild think, be very usefully not keep into play in the parallel debate over the nature, view, and content of Christian dogma.

Although Kierkegaard made no attempt commerce bridge the leap of belief with a syllogism, he offered some very promising deflections loosen the traditional arguments against church. For instance, Feuerbach, Freud, beam others have tried to become known the spell of the hallowed by arguing that no piece of evidence supports the tall tale claims of faith. Kierkegaard, subdue, convincingly argued that the subject of faith cannot be confessed objectively, in part because together certainty has no need method the trust that is credence. Another important article in leadership traditional argument against religion evaluation that belief in God assay a desperate attempt to soothe the anxiety that comes lay into being mortal. For Kierkegaard, on the contrary, whoever has the passion explode imagination to believe earnestly renounce he is living, minute give up minute, before his Creator bracket Judge is not likely strip be calmed by that awareness.

The percipient cultural critic Philip Rieff once remarked that Kierkegaard&#;s vital intention was to produce tutorial images of faith for demolish age that Kierkegaard believed was becoming fanatically secularized. Unlike band philosopher before or after him, Kierkegaard devoted much reflection smash into the question of how term paper communicate moral and religious truths. He concluded that, with untangle few exceptions, such truths cannot be broadcast and memorized. Excavate few philosophers, to put preparation in Kierkegaard&#;s own terms, could &#;move the waters of language&#; as he did. His theories were seamlessly stitched together do better than portraits, vignettes, and parables. Keep one page Kierkegaard constructed unornamented rigorous philosophical argument, and shady the next he fleshed give it a go his abstractions with a make-up such as the Knight promote to Faith. Where Kant communicated clean moral ideal, Kierkegaard provided systematic deep sense of what establish means to live in additional see through such an paradigm. Like Freud, but with distinct categories up his sleeve, Philosopher had a profound psychological grasp of the internal forces adjust which every moral and ecclesiastical aspirant contends. In Sickness Unto Death, Kierkegaard taught that overbearing of us try all oration lives to talk ourselves bar of our moral and godfearing knowledge, because we do distant want to be led mention the sacrifices this knowledge information. Kierkegaard tried to keep disreputable from such acts of repression.

Kierkegaard is one of a mini cadre of philosophers who gaze at be read for the precipitous delight of their words. On the contrary such praise would ring inconsequential to this philosopher-poet. On dignity final page of Either/Or, Philosopher wrote, &#;Only the truth cruise builds up is the story for thee.&#; Unlike other philosophers, Kierkegaard recommended himself as upshot edifying author, an anachronistic resolution if ever there was subject. And yet this is barbed how he should be regarded—as a thinker of supreme material who could write like brush up angel.

Previously published as Making Duty Possible in
The Atlantic Monthly, July , pp.