Kierkegaard Philosophy in 9 Minutes - The Father of Existentialism

Summary

Søren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher, is considered the father of existentialism. His work emphasizes individual lived experiences and subjective truth over objective facts. Kierkegaard's existential philosophy asserts that individuals are solely responsible for their actions and purpose in life. His personal life and writings, including 'Either/Or' and 'Fear and Trembling', explore themes of despair, death, and the leap of faith, advocating for a personal relationship with God as the highest form of existence.

Takeaways

• 📚 Søren Kierkegaard is recognized as a significant figure in philosophy, often considered the father of existentialism, emphasizing the importance of individual subjectivity and lived experiences.
• 🌏 Born in 1813 Copenhagen, Kierkegaard's life was influenced by the Enlightenment era, but he disagreed with the era's belief that objective means could solve life's biggest problems.
• 🤔 Kierkegaard's philosophy revolved around the concept of living as a 'single individual', advocating that 'subjectivity is truth' and challenging the status quo of his time.
• 🎓 He believed in the importance of subjective truths, which are personal and unique to each individual, as opposed to objective facts that can be universally applied.
• 🎼 Kierkegaard used the example of choosing a career as a musician to illustrate the difference between objective facts and the subjective experience necessary to truly understand one's calling.
• 🌱 Existentialism, as influenced by Kierkegaard, posits that individuals are solely responsible for creating meaning in their lives and making decisions that affect their purpose.
• 🙏 Kierkegaard's religious beliefs were central to his work, asserting that eternal salvation depends on how one lives their life and the choices they make.
• 👨‍🦳 Kierkegaard's personal life, including his melancholic upbringing and the mysterious end of his engagement to Regina Olsen, had a profound impact on his writing and philosophical outlook.
• 📖 His prolific writing includes well-known works like 'Either/Or', 'Fear and Trembling', and 'The Sickness Unto Death', characterized by his use of pseudonyms and indirect communication.
• 🧘‍♂️ Kierkegaard explored concepts like 'angst' or despair, and the importance of acknowledging death as a part of life, encouraging individuals to live passionately and reflectively.
• 🔢 He outlined three stages of individual existence: 'The Aesthetic', 'The Ethical', and 'The Religious', suggesting a progression from pleasure-seeking to ethical living and ultimately to a personal relationship with God.

Q & A

Who is Søren Kierkegaard and what is his significance in philosophy?

Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, and social critic born in 1813 in Copenhagen. He is regarded by some as the father of existentialism and is known for his focus on the individual's subjective experience and the concept of 'single individual' living.

What was the prevailing view of the Enlightenment era regarding the solution to life's biggest problems?

During the Enlightenment, it was believed that life's biggest problems, including understanding a human's true self, could be solved through objective means such as logic and science.

How did Kierkegaard's view on 'subjective truth' differ from the prevailing thought of his time?

Kierkegaard believed in the importance of subjective truth, which separates individuals from others and is not solely based on objective facts. He argued that deeper, personal truths are essential and often overlooked by systematic philosophers of his time like Hegel.

What is existentialism and how is Kierkegaard considered its founder?

Existentialism is a philosophy that posits the world has no intrinsic meaning and that individuals are solely responsible for their actions, decisions, and purpose. Kierkegaard's focus on the individual's lived experience and responsibility led some scholars to consider him the founder of existentialism.

What is the concept of 'subjective truth' as described by Kierkegaard?

Subjective truth, according to Kierkegaard, refers to the personal and unique understanding one has about their life and experiences, which cannot be fully grasped through objective facts alone.

How did Kierkegaard's personal life influence his philosophical views?

Kierkegaard's personal life, marked by the melancholy of his father, the early deaths of his siblings, and the broken engagement with Regina Olsen, influenced his focus on individual responsibility, despair, and the importance of personal commitment to faith.

What is the 'method of indirect communication' that Kierkegaard used in his writing?

The 'method of indirect communication' refers to Kierkegaard's approach of writing under various pseudonyms to convey a sense of personal responsibility and to encourage readers to think for themselves rather than relying on perceived authorities.

What are the three stages of individual existence that Kierkegaard describes in his works?

The three stages are 'The Aesthetic', 'The Ethical', and 'The Religious'. The Aesthetic life is about experiencing pleasures, the Ethical life involves adhering to societal rules and ethical principles, and the Religious life is about having a personal commitment and relationship with God.

What does Kierkegaard mean by 'The Teleological Suspension of the Ethical' and 'Leap of Faith'?

The 'Teleological Suspension of the Ethical' and 'Leap of Faith' refer to the act of transcending ethical and rational objectivity for a personal and subjective relationship with God, often in the face of paradoxical religious teachings.

How does Kierkegaard's concept of 'angst' or despair relate to the individual's journey towards self-awareness?

Kierkegaard's concept of 'angst' is the anxiety or dread that arises when one truly contemplates their freedom and the possibilities of their life. It is a catalyst for self-awareness and taking responsibility for one's choices, independent of societal expectations.

What is the significance of embracing the 'absurd' in Kierkegaard's philosophy?

Embracing the 'absurd' in Kierkegaard's philosophy means accepting the paradoxical nature of religious teachings, such as the dual nature of Christ, and living by faith rather than rejecting these ideas based on rational or logical grounds.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Philosophical Journey of Søren Kierkegaard

Søren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher and theologian, is considered by many as the father of existentialism. Born in 1813, he lived during the Enlightenment, a time of great technological and intellectual progress. Kierkegaard disagreed with the prevailing thought that objective means like logic and science could solve life's biggest questions. He emphasized the importance of individual subjectivity and personal truth, as expressed in his work 'Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments'. He believed that deeper, subjective truths exist beyond objective facts, which are crucial for understanding one's true self and purpose. His philosophy also touched on existentialism, the idea that individuals are solely responsible for their actions and the meaning they create in life. Kierkegaard's personal life, marked by early encounters with death and a broken engagement, influenced his work and his dedication to philosophy.

05:03

🧘 The Existential Exploration of Individuality and Faith

This paragraph delves into Kierkegaard's existential themes, such as death, despair ('angst'), and the individual's journey toward self-discovery. Kierkegaard believed that a true understanding of life's impermanence and embracing the anxiety of freedom are essential for living passionately. He introduced the concept of 'The Aesthetic', 'The Ethical', and 'The Religious' stages of existence, which individuals must navigate to become a 'single individual'. The Aesthetic life is about pleasure-seeking, while the Ethical life involves adherence to societal norms and moral principles. The Religious life, the highest stage for Kierkegaard, requires a personal commitment to God that transcends ethical considerations. His works, such as 'Either/Or' and 'Fear and Trembling', use indirect communication and storytelling to encourage readers to reflect on their choices and responsibilities. Kierkegaard's approach to faith involved embracing the absurd and making a 'Leap of Faith', becoming a 'Knight of Faith' who acts with subjective freedom and divine trust.

Keywords

💡Søren Kierkegaard

Søren Kierkegaard was a 19th-century Danish philosopher known as the father of existentialism. His work focused on the concept of subjectivity and individual existence. In the video, he is introduced as a critic of the Enlightenment's objective approach to solving life's problems and is central to the theme of individualism and personal responsibility.

💡Existentialism

Existentialism is a philosophical movement that emphasizes individual freedom, choice, and subjective experience as the basis for human existence. The video describes existentialism as the belief that the world lacks intrinsic meaning and that individuals are solely responsible for creating their own purpose and meaning in life.

💡Subjective Truth

Subjective truth, as discussed in the video, refers to personal beliefs and experiences that shape an individual's understanding of reality. Kierkegaard argued that while objective facts are important, subjective truths are what truly define a person's identity and life choices, such as the decision to become a professional musician.

💡Individualism

Individualism is the idea that the human being is an independent entity with unique experiences and choices. The video emphasizes Kierkegaard's focus on individualism by discussing how he believed that each person must live as a 'single individual' and make personal decisions based on their subjective experiences.

💡Enlightenment

The Enlightenment refers to an intellectual and philosophical movement of the 18th century that emphasized reason, science, and logic as the means to understand and improve the world. In the video, the Enlightenment is contrasted with Kierkegaard's views, which challenged the idea that life's problems could be solved through objective means alone.

💡Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Hegel was a German philosopher known for his systematic approach to philosophy, which Kierkegaard disagreed with. The video mentions Hegel as an example of a prominent systematic philosopher of the time who did not acknowledge the importance of subjective truths.

💡The Aesthetic

In Kierkegaard's philosophy, 'The Aesthetic' is the first stage of existence, characterized by the pursuit of pleasure and sensory experiences. The video describes this stage as a life focused on immediate gratification before realizing the need for deeper substance and purpose.

💡The Ethical

The 'Ethical' stage, as discussed in the video, is the second level of individual existence in Kierkegaard's philosophy. It involves living according to societal norms and ethical principles, recognizing one's role in society and the importance of contributing to a greater purpose beyond oneself.

💡The Religious

The 'Religious' stage is the highest level of existence in Kierkegaard's view, as mentioned in the video. It represents a personal commitment and relationship with God, transcending ethical principles and embracing faith in the face of paradoxes and the absurd.

💡Leap of Faith

The 'Leap of Faith' is a concept in Kierkegaard's philosophy where an individual makes a commitment to faith despite the lack of rational evidence. The video illustrates this by discussing Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, acting on faith rather than ethical rules.

💡Angst

Angst, or anxiety, in Kierkegaard's work, is the feeling of dread that arises when one confronts the vast possibilities of freedom and responsibility. The video describes angst as a 'dizziness of freedom' that can lead to a deeper awareness of one's choices and the importance of personal responsibility.

Highlights

Søren Kierkegaard is considered by some as the father of existentialism.

Kierkegaard disagreed with the Enlightenment's belief that life's biggest problems could be solved through objective means.

He emphasized the importance of subjectivity and individual lived experiences in understanding truth.

Kierkegaard's philosophy focused on how one lives as a 'single individual'.

Existentialism posits that individuals are solely responsible for their actions, decisions, and purpose in a meaningless world.

Kierkegaard believed in the importance of personal responsibility for eternal salvation.

His personal life, including his melancholic father and broken engagement, influenced his philosophical outlook.

Kierkegaard's prolific writing included works like 'Either/Or', 'Fear and Trembling', and 'The Sickness Unto Death'.

He used pseudonyms and indirect communication to encourage readers to think for themselves.

Kierkegaard explored concepts like death, despair, and 'angst' in his works.

He believed that true understanding of death and embracing 'angst' lead to self-awareness and personal responsibility.

Kierkegaard's stages of individual existence include 'The Aesthetic', 'The Ethical', and 'The Religious'.

The Religious Life involves a personal commitment and relationship with God, transcending ethical principles.

Kierkegaard's concept of 'The Teleological Suspension of the Ethical' and 'Leap of Faith' describe the transition to religious living.

His work encourages embracing the absurd and the subjective over the objective for a deeper understanding of faith.

Kierkegaard's legacy has benefitted philosophy and academia, despite disagreements with his religious conclusions.

His ideas on despair, anxiety, and mortality can be seen as a guide for self-understanding and individuality.

Transcripts

Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic, and religious

author regarded by some philosophers as the father of existentialism.

Born in 1813 in Copenhagen, he lived at the end of the Enlightenment. This era ushered

in enormous advances in technology and human understanding. The thinking of that time was

that life’s biggest problems, including what a human’s true self is, could be solved

through objective means such as through the application of logic and science.

Kierkegaard not only disagreed with this idea, but for that matter, with much of the accepted

status quo in the literature, philosophy, and religion of his day.

Much of his philosophy centered around the concept of how one lives as a ‘single individual’.

As he wrote in Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments, "subjectivity

is truth" and "truth is subjectivity." An astute thinker, he, of course, agreed that

science and objective facts are important. But prominent systematic philosophers of his

time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, weren’t acknowledging that there exist deeper

subjective truths - or truths that separate ourselves from other individuals.

What exactly does he mean by subjective truth? Well, take, for example, the idea of whether

we should become a professional musician as a career. Objective facts may tell us things

like our average salary or the approximate amount of hours we need to practice each day.

But to really understand what it means to be a musician full-time means we have to experience

for itself. We have to pick up a guitar and try to get a music gig to understand if we’re

doing this for a living.

This unique focus on the individual’s lived experience led him by some scholars to be

considered the founder of existentialism. Existentialism is the philosophy that the

world has no intrinsic meaning and that individuals alone are responsible for their actions, decisions,

and purpose.

For Kierkegaard, this responsibility was of utmost importance because our eternal salvation

hanged in the balance of how we act and the life we ultimately choose to live. A profoundly

religious man, Kierkegaard believed God will ultimately judge who we’ve become as a single

individual through the course of our actions.

To understand Kierkegaard’s work better is to understand a little about the man behind

the writing. Sorn’s father, Michael, was a wealthy but deeply melancholy man who took

his guilt and stern religious beliefs out on Sorin and his 7th children. Sorin lamented

that he had been ‘born old’ and never had a fun, carefree childhood. Despite his

business success, Michael Kierkegaard believed he was cursed, and his children would all

die before the age attained by Jesus, age 33. It turned out that young Sorin would indeed

be surrounded by death early in life as all his siblings, save one, would not live to

see that age.

In 1840 Sorin became engaged to Regina Olsen. Despite writing about how deeply in love he

was with her, he mysterious broke off the engagement.

Whether it was a sexual indiscretion, a religious experience calling him to be celibate, or

just not wanting to support a wife and child financially, scholars can only speculate as

to why he really did it.

However, it was a serious turning point in his life as it set a course for him to fully

dedicate himself to writing and philosophy. Not only that, it further established him

as this type of outside figure since he would never marry during his life.

Sorin wrote a prolific amount, his most well-known works today being Either/Or, Fear and Trembling,

and The Sickness Unto Death. He creatively used a “method of indirect communication”

writing under various pseudonyms to convey this sense of personal responsibility for

the reader to make up his mind and sever ties with a perceived expert or all-wise authority

figure.

Sometimes referred to as the ‘poet philosopher’, his writing were filled with passion, irony,

and parables instead of the dry analytical discourse of other intellectuals of his time.

For example, in his work Either/Or, he burst forth,

“If you marry, you will regret it; if you do not marry, you will also regret it; if

you marry or if you do not marry, you will regret both; whether you marry or you do not

marry, you will regret both. Laugh at the world’s follies, you will regret it; weep

over them, you will also regret it; if you laugh at the world’s follies or if you weep

over them, you will regret both; whether you laugh at the world’s follies or you weep

over them, you will regret both.”

When one reflects inward and begins examining their life, it leads to some unsettling questions

and topics that Kierkegaard wasn’t afraid to explore. Two examples found in his works

include death and ‘angst’ or despair.

Death is an objective fact that everyone is aware of, but Kierkegaard believed no one

truly understood death and thought about it, which was needed to live life with passion.

The truth is we could be struck down at any moment our life ended in a flash. However,

the herd goes along not giving a second thought to this, living in ‘death denial’.

‘Angst’ for Kierkegaard was unfocused fear or specifically a "dizziness of freedom."

When one truly looks inward and sees how much freedom and possibilities one has, it’s

anxiety-producing. He asks us to imagine a man standing on top of a clip looking down

at the possibilities he could do and become in his life. The longer he stands, the more

dread he feels.

As he wrote in — The Concept of Anxiety, p. 61,

“Anxiety may be compared with dizziness. He whose eye happens to look down into the

yawning abyss becomes dizzy. But what is the reason for this? It is just as much in his

own eye as in the abyss, for suppose he had not looked down. Hence, anxiety is the dizziness

of freedom, which emerges when the spirit wants to posit the synthesis and freedom looks

down into its own possibility, laying hold of finiteness to support itself.”

Despite its negative feeling, angst is important as it leads to personality responsibility

and awareness of our choices in life independent from what others want us to believe. It brings

us from a state of un-self-conscious immediacy to self-conscious reflection.

So what is the specific process for becoming a ‘single individual’? What’s the end

goal for Kierkegaard? Scholars believe we can categorize his writing into three levels

of individual existence one must pass through.

These are ‘The Aesthetic’, ‘The Ethical’, and ‘The Religious’.

Stage one is the Aeshteic life, a life defined simply by experiencing pleasures, like sensuous

desires and intellectual enjoyment. A good way to combat life’s boredom, the individual

soon realizes she needs more substance and purpose in life.

That’s where stage two: the Ethical Life, comes in.

To function as a mature society, we all have to establish good and bad rules to follow

and be judged by. We understand we’re an integrated part of society and that there’s

a purpose greater than oneself out there.

However, you can still enjoy aesthetic pleasure in life; it’s just ethical principles now

supersede the aesthetic. For instance, the aesthetic excitement and passion of a new

marriage can quickly fade. However, by acting morally and taking care of one’s spouse,

you can learn for yourself that there are things more meaningful than surface-level

pleasures and excitements.

However, to truly live life as a “single individual,” one must take another step

and adopt #3. The Religious Life

For Kierkegaard, living the religious life was something almost no one did and was considered

the highest plane of existence for him.

See, truly finding God, for him, doesn’t happen by mindlessness following ethical rules,

social guidelines, and regurgitating church dogma.

True religion comes when we have a personal commitment and relationship to the Christian

God alone and are willing to supersede ethical principles for God.

In ‘Fear and Trembling’, Kierkegaard, writing under a pseudonym, gives Abraham an

example of someone who reached The Religious Life. Rather than follow normative ethical

rules and spare his son, as murder is wrong, Abraham looks inward and understands God requires

deep inner commitment more than just following rules.

Being rational, of course, Kierkegaard understood this isn’t a simple task. Christian teachings

are paradoxical after all, asserting that God as Christ is both 100% human and 100%

God. Confronted with such a paradox, one can either logically reject the idea and take

offense or live by faith and believe by virtue of the absurd. The absurd here, a concept

that appears through Kierkegaard’s work, is to be seen as an enhancement of faith,

something we all must embrace.

When we suspend our ethical, rational beliefs for religious ones like Abraham did, we embrace

‘The Teleological Suspension of the Ethical’ and take the ‘Leap of Faith”.

Here, we become what he called ‘a Knight of Faith’, or someone who has transcended

ethical and rational objectivity for subjectivity and placed complete faith in himself and God

acting freely from the world.

So, that was just a very brief introduction to Kierkegaard as there’s far more to him

and his work. I encourage you to read some of his writing for yourself if any of this

seemed interesting.

Today most philosophers and those in academia would disagree with Kierkegaard’s religious

conclusions, but history has greatly benefitted from him.

If you’re someone struggling with feelings of despair, anxiety, meaning in life, and

wrestling with your mortality and evitable death, Kierkegaard if he were here, might

say “good job man.”

These feelings, although uncomfortable, indicate you’re on the right path toward understanding

yourself and becoming your unique self. You’ve started the essential inward journey and are

separating yourself from the masses, and herd mentality, so don’t feel too bad.