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Kierkegaard

Original nameSøren Kierkegaard

Danish Philosopher, Forerunner of Existentialist Philosophy

Those Who Reanswered "How Should We Live" · Modern & Contemporary Thinkers

Forerunner of ExistentialismThe Leap of FaithThe Three Stages of Life

Who they are

Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) was a Danish philosopher and theologian broadly seen as a forerunner of existentialist philosophy, whose works were largely published under pseudonyms and unfolded through dialogue and debate, deliberately avoiding the Hegelian paradigm of philosophical writing that seeks grand systematic unity, and focusing instead on the real, concrete existential experiences the individual faces in concrete circumstances — anxiety, despair, and the choice of faith. He proposed three ascending stages of human existence — the aesthetic stage (pursuing sensory pleasure and novel experience), the ethical stage (following universal moral duty and norms), and the religious stage (transcending universal ethical norms to face faith directly as an individual, the "leap") — holding that true faith cannot be reached by rational argument or logical deduction but must depend on a "leap of faith" beyond rational calculation. He took the biblical story of Abraham commanded to sacrifice his only son Isaac as an example, noting that this act, viewed from the standpoint of universal ethics, is a horrifying murder, yet is precisely the ultimate embodiment of faith transcending ethical norms to respond directly to a divine command.

Primary sourcesKierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, Either/Or

Key stories

The "Leap of Faith" and Abraham’s Dilemma

In Fear and Trembling Kierkegaard reflected again and again on the biblical story of Abraham commanded by God to sacrifice his only son Isaac: from the standpoint of universal ethical precepts, to kill one’s own son is by any measure an unpardonable crime, yet Abraham prepared to carry it out without hesitation — Kierkegaard held this to be precisely the ultimate embodiment of the "knight of faith" transcending universal ethical norms to respond, as an individual, directly to the absolute divine command, a "leap of faith" that no rational logic can justify or refute.

The Existential Choice of Breaking Off an Engagement

Shortly after becoming engaged to his beloved Regine Olsen, Kierkegaard actively broke off the engagement, and never married thereafter; this experience of love recurred again and again in his many pseudonymous works, becoming the most important source of personal material for his exploration of the core existentialist theme of "the dilemma of choice between the aesthetic life and ethical commitment."

Version differences

Many of Kierkegaard’s works were published under pseudonyms, and there is ongoing scholarly discussion over whether the views of these pseudonymous authors are wholly equivalent to his own stance.

Relationships

Nemesis

🌀Hegel　He deliberately opposed the Hegelian paradigm of philosophical writing that seeks grand systematic unity

Echoes today

Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.

"Father of existentialism" (a placement in the history of philosophy)Though the term did not yet exist in his own age, later histories of philosophy broadly regard him as an important forerunner of existentialist philosophy.

Appears in

The Revolt of the Nineteenth Century: Doubt, Alienation, and the Will to PowerKierkegaard: The Leap of Faith

⏳ Who lived at the same time as Kierkegaard? →🚬 Existentialism →🔗 Who taught whom →

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