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The Living Thoughts of Kierkegaard
Translated from the Danish by Walter Lowrie, David Swenson, and Alexander Dru
The Danish philosopher Kierkegaard is one of the master thinkers of the modern age, a defining influence on existentialism and on twentieth-century theology, and this brilliantly tailored selection from his vast and varied writings--made by the great English poet W.H Auden--is a perfect introduction to his work. Auden's inspired and incisive response to a thinker who had done much to shape his own beliefs is a fundamental reading of an author whose spirit remains as radical as ever more than 150 years after he wrote.
The Danish philosopher Kierkegaard is one of the master thinkers of the modern age, a defining influence on existentialism and on twentieth-century theology, and this brilliantly tailored selection from his vast and varied writings--made by the great English poet W.H Auden--is a perfect introduction to his work. Auden's inspired and incisive response to a thinker who had done much to shape his own beliefs is a fundamental reading of an author whose spirit remains as radical as ever more than 150 years after he wrote.
245 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
29 people are currently reading
985 people want to read
About the author
Søren Kierkegaard
1,124 books6,418 followersSøren Aabye Kierkegaard was a prolific 19th century Danish philosopher and theologian. Kierkegaard strongly criticised both the Hegelianism of his time and what he saw as the empty formalities of the Church of Denmark. Much of his work deals with religious themes such as faith in God, the institution of the Christian Church, Christian ethics and theology, and the emotions and feelings of individuals when faced with life choices. His early work was written under various pseudonyms who present their own distinctive viewpoints in a complex dialogue.
Kierkegaard left the task of discovering the meaning of his works to the reader, because "the task must be made difficult, for only the difficult inspires the noble-hearted". Scholars have interpreted Kierkegaard variously as an existentialist, neo-orthodoxist, postmodernist, humanist, and individualist.
Crossing the boundaries of philosophy, theology, psychology, and literature, he is an influential figure in contemporary thought.
Kierkegaard left the task of discovering the meaning of his works to the reader, because "the task must be made difficult, for only the difficult inspires the noble-hearted". Scholars have interpreted Kierkegaard variously as an existentialist, neo-orthodoxist, postmodernist, humanist, and individualist.
Crossing the boundaries of philosophy, theology, psychology, and literature, he is an influential figure in contemporary thought.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 11, 2015
I'd like to see a debate between Jackson Browne and Kierkegaard. One of the messages of this book that stood out to me this time through is Kierkeaard's respect of routine. In "For a Dancer" Browne discusses the routine of "get up in the morning, and go to work each day" as "a happy idiot, and struggle for the legal tender." So, is routine heroic and mature, or is it boring and an abandonment of hope?
Here are some other Kierkegaard points, elegantly distilled in this collection of excerpts. I'm by no means a scholar of his, more just a curious reader, and this is by no means a comprehensive list, more just the points that stood out to me this time through. It won't be the last. Here goes:
Be you. Be an individual.
Do not blend into the crowd, do not think about public opinion, in fact even thinking about the public is an illusion, none of that matters. What matters is your life and the choices you make. Time spend thinking about other is a waste of time, what you should do is objectively analyze yourself to make sure you're living the right kind of life. (more on that soon, be you doesn't mean do whatever you want, it means more progress towards the best kind of life).
2. Passionate commitment.
It is through passionate commitment that we give life meaning. Do not be a falling leaf, choose something with passion. He actually holds up Juliet as an example of love, and laments that his age lacks the passion to produce that kind of love. He admits that a belief in God is not wholly scientifically backed, but urges people to leap into that belief and maintain infinite passion for God and for life. Said it's one thing to stand on one foot and prove God's existence, it's another to fall to your knees and thank him, guess which one he admired. (hint, the latter)
3. Deliberate choices.
Related don't just do whatever you want with passion, Kierkegaard wants someone to progress into a moral life. He says the three phases of life are the aesthetic (pleasure based, what's up Jackson Browne), the ethical (about morals and ideals) and the religious (about God). A moral life progresses to God. Interestingly he points out that you can't judge a person's action as good or evil, and that an action may be a bit of both, but that we are progressing towards good or regressing. The direction of change is not relative (like the action) so you had better point yourself in the right direction and get comfy with routine. He's more interested in becoming than being.
4. God.
All roads lead to God. Kierkegaard is very much a Christian theologian. A good chunk of his writing is about God, just as a heads up if you're coming in hearing about Kierkegaard the existentialist. Id' say at least 60% of his writing is theological. He has some interesting thoughts, such as not messing up a kid's mind with fear of God. He also takes a very interesting stance to the ethical critics of God's proof. He says, you're right that you can't technically prove God's existence, but to believe in God is brave. To believe in God is similar to believing in love, as you can never directly communicate with your lover. Real love requires faith, and to believe says more about the person than about God.
I would not classify myself as Christian, but am still amazed to read Kierkegaard. He's refreshing, inspiring, and compelling. The examined life, defined. One of the beautiful things about reading is it's like a conversation with a (for the most part) intelligent person. Something in the way he thinks reminds me of my grandfather. I wish I could talk to him, but reading is not so bad after all. Thanks for reading, if you made it this far. OK, back to Kierkegaard for...
Quotes
!!! The majority of men are subjective towards themselves and objective towards all others, terribly objective sometimes - but the real task is in fact to be objective towards oneself and subjective towards all others. 4
People hardly ever make use of the freedom which they have, for example, freedom of thought; instead they demand freedom of speech as compensation. 7
The crowd is composed of individuals, but it must also be in the power of each one to be what he is: an individual; and no one, no one at all, no one whatsoever is prevented from being an individual unless he prevents himself - by becoming one of the masses. 7
To stand on one leg and prove God's existence is a very different thing from going on one's knees and thanking Him. 8
The public is a monstrous nothing. The public is a concept..a host, more numerous than all the peoples together, but it is a body which can never be reviewed, it cannot even be represented, because it is an abstraction...a kind of gigantic something, an abstract and deserted void which is everything and nothing [I get the distinct feeling he wouldn't care much for the how many likes can I get gratification of the internets) 24
Every outstanding individual is always an object of envy. 32
Music is, then, the medium for that species of the immediate which, spiritually determined, is determined as lying outside of the spirit. Music can naturally express many other things, but this is its absolute subject. 55
The eye with which you look at reality, must constantly be changed. 57
It is possible to be both good and bad, as we say quite simply, that a man has tendencies to both good and evil. But it is impossible at one and the same time to become both good and bad...[Gothe says you can be both] because the medium of the poet is imagination, is being not becoming, or at most becoming in very much a foreshortened perspective...the individual takes himself out of the medium of becoming, and inquiries in the medium of being, how it is with him; and alas! the unfortunate result of this inquiry is that he is both good and bad. But as soon as he again enters into the medium of becoming he becomes either good or bad. 63
Hope is a charming maiden but slips through the fingers, recollection is a beautiful old woman but of no use at the instant, repetition is a beautiful old woman but of no use at the instant, repetition is a beloved wife of whom one never tires. For it is only of the new one grows tired. Of the old one never tires. When one possesses that, one is happy, and only he is thoroughly happy who does not delude himself with the vain notion that repetition ought to be something new...it requires youth to hope, and youth to recollect, but it requires courage to will repetition. 74
Repetition is reality, and it is the seriousness of life. He who wills repetition is matured in seriousness. 75
In order really to be a great genius a man must be the exception...there is a definite point in which he suffers; it is impossible for him to run with the herd. That is his torture...the pain by which he is nailed out in isolation - and he must be isolated if he is to be great and no man can freely isolate himself; he must be compelled if it is to be a serious matter. 91
Thus the subject (God) has, objectively, the uncertainty; but it is this which precisely increases the tension of that infinite passion which constitutes his inwardness. The truth is precisely the venture which chooses an objective uncertainty with the passion of the infinite. I contemplate the order of nature in the hope of finding God, and I see omnipotence and wisdom; but I also see much else that disturbs my mind and excites anxiety. The sum of all this is objective uncertainty...embrace this objective uncertainty with the entire passion of the infinite. 128
The passion is at bottom present in all thinking, even in the thinking of the individual, in so far as in thinking he participates in something transcending himself. 141
We shall call this passion: faith. 147
A contradiction placed directly in front of a man - if only one can get him to look upon it - is a mirror; while he is judging, what dwells within him must be revealed. It is a riddle, but while he is guessing, what dwells within him is revealed by how he guesses. The contradiction puts before him a choice, and while he is choosing, he himself is revealed. 204
The answer [ to the uncertainties of faith], it must be noted, is with infinite passion. 199
Here are some other Kierkegaard points, elegantly distilled in this collection of excerpts. I'm by no means a scholar of his, more just a curious reader, and this is by no means a comprehensive list, more just the points that stood out to me this time through. It won't be the last. Here goes:
Be you. Be an individual.
Do not blend into the crowd, do not think about public opinion, in fact even thinking about the public is an illusion, none of that matters. What matters is your life and the choices you make. Time spend thinking about other is a waste of time, what you should do is objectively analyze yourself to make sure you're living the right kind of life. (more on that soon, be you doesn't mean do whatever you want, it means more progress towards the best kind of life).
2. Passionate commitment.
It is through passionate commitment that we give life meaning. Do not be a falling leaf, choose something with passion. He actually holds up Juliet as an example of love, and laments that his age lacks the passion to produce that kind of love. He admits that a belief in God is not wholly scientifically backed, but urges people to leap into that belief and maintain infinite passion for God and for life. Said it's one thing to stand on one foot and prove God's existence, it's another to fall to your knees and thank him, guess which one he admired. (hint, the latter)
3. Deliberate choices.
Related don't just do whatever you want with passion, Kierkegaard wants someone to progress into a moral life. He says the three phases of life are the aesthetic (pleasure based, what's up Jackson Browne), the ethical (about morals and ideals) and the religious (about God). A moral life progresses to God. Interestingly he points out that you can't judge a person's action as good or evil, and that an action may be a bit of both, but that we are progressing towards good or regressing. The direction of change is not relative (like the action) so you had better point yourself in the right direction and get comfy with routine. He's more interested in becoming than being.
4. God.
All roads lead to God. Kierkegaard is very much a Christian theologian. A good chunk of his writing is about God, just as a heads up if you're coming in hearing about Kierkegaard the existentialist. Id' say at least 60% of his writing is theological. He has some interesting thoughts, such as not messing up a kid's mind with fear of God. He also takes a very interesting stance to the ethical critics of God's proof. He says, you're right that you can't technically prove God's existence, but to believe in God is brave. To believe in God is similar to believing in love, as you can never directly communicate with your lover. Real love requires faith, and to believe says more about the person than about God.
I would not classify myself as Christian, but am still amazed to read Kierkegaard. He's refreshing, inspiring, and compelling. The examined life, defined. One of the beautiful things about reading is it's like a conversation with a (for the most part) intelligent person. Something in the way he thinks reminds me of my grandfather. I wish I could talk to him, but reading is not so bad after all. Thanks for reading, if you made it this far. OK, back to Kierkegaard for...
Quotes
!!! The majority of men are subjective towards themselves and objective towards all others, terribly objective sometimes - but the real task is in fact to be objective towards oneself and subjective towards all others. 4
People hardly ever make use of the freedom which they have, for example, freedom of thought; instead they demand freedom of speech as compensation. 7
The crowd is composed of individuals, but it must also be in the power of each one to be what he is: an individual; and no one, no one at all, no one whatsoever is prevented from being an individual unless he prevents himself - by becoming one of the masses. 7
To stand on one leg and prove God's existence is a very different thing from going on one's knees and thanking Him. 8
The public is a monstrous nothing. The public is a concept..a host, more numerous than all the peoples together, but it is a body which can never be reviewed, it cannot even be represented, because it is an abstraction...a kind of gigantic something, an abstract and deserted void which is everything and nothing [I get the distinct feeling he wouldn't care much for the how many likes can I get gratification of the internets) 24
Every outstanding individual is always an object of envy. 32
Music is, then, the medium for that species of the immediate which, spiritually determined, is determined as lying outside of the spirit. Music can naturally express many other things, but this is its absolute subject. 55
The eye with which you look at reality, must constantly be changed. 57
It is possible to be both good and bad, as we say quite simply, that a man has tendencies to both good and evil. But it is impossible at one and the same time to become both good and bad...[Gothe says you can be both] because the medium of the poet is imagination, is being not becoming, or at most becoming in very much a foreshortened perspective...the individual takes himself out of the medium of becoming, and inquiries in the medium of being, how it is with him; and alas! the unfortunate result of this inquiry is that he is both good and bad. But as soon as he again enters into the medium of becoming he becomes either good or bad. 63
Hope is a charming maiden but slips through the fingers, recollection is a beautiful old woman but of no use at the instant, repetition is a beautiful old woman but of no use at the instant, repetition is a beloved wife of whom one never tires. For it is only of the new one grows tired. Of the old one never tires. When one possesses that, one is happy, and only he is thoroughly happy who does not delude himself with the vain notion that repetition ought to be something new...it requires youth to hope, and youth to recollect, but it requires courage to will repetition. 74
Repetition is reality, and it is the seriousness of life. He who wills repetition is matured in seriousness. 75
In order really to be a great genius a man must be the exception...there is a definite point in which he suffers; it is impossible for him to run with the herd. That is his torture...the pain by which he is nailed out in isolation - and he must be isolated if he is to be great and no man can freely isolate himself; he must be compelled if it is to be a serious matter. 91
Thus the subject (God) has, objectively, the uncertainty; but it is this which precisely increases the tension of that infinite passion which constitutes his inwardness. The truth is precisely the venture which chooses an objective uncertainty with the passion of the infinite. I contemplate the order of nature in the hope of finding God, and I see omnipotence and wisdom; but I also see much else that disturbs my mind and excites anxiety. The sum of all this is objective uncertainty...embrace this objective uncertainty with the entire passion of the infinite. 128
The passion is at bottom present in all thinking, even in the thinking of the individual, in so far as in thinking he participates in something transcending himself. 141
We shall call this passion: faith. 147
A contradiction placed directly in front of a man - if only one can get him to look upon it - is a mirror; while he is judging, what dwells within him must be revealed. It is a riddle, but while he is guessing, what dwells within him is revealed by how he guesses. The contradiction puts before him a choice, and while he is choosing, he himself is revealed. 204
The answer [ to the uncertainties of faith], it must be noted, is with infinite passion. 199
January 24, 2024
"People hardly ever make use of the freedom they have, for example, freedom of thought; instead they demand freedom of speech as compensation."
One of the most thought-provoking works I have read in a long time. Kierkegaard is really growing on me. In another life, I could imagine it would be great to have the most existential philosophical discussions with him over a glass of wine. My head is still spinning a little at all the things he manages to unravel, though Auden's introduction did a great job at contextualizing the relevance of Kierkegaard today. He argues that modernism has given us elusive unities like 'the press' and 'the public', which are not unities in terms of congruence of its members but instead, popular subjective voices to which indiscriminate or even shallow minds turn to have an opinion. We've lost the ability to think objectively through generalizations. Kierkegaard clearly takes this into a relgious direction, which I think is fascinating but I think the premise holds for general spirituality as well as what outlook you have on life.
Four stars, because I do still intend to read all the individual pieces and don't really want to generalize a judgement for a compilation of all his works here. I am looking forward to the rest of his stuff as I dive further into this research. My lecturer and fellow researcher thankfully seems to understand more of this than I do so off I go to humbly ask him my 5 pages of questions about all this.
One of the most thought-provoking works I have read in a long time. Kierkegaard is really growing on me. In another life, I could imagine it would be great to have the most existential philosophical discussions with him over a glass of wine. My head is still spinning a little at all the things he manages to unravel, though Auden's introduction did a great job at contextualizing the relevance of Kierkegaard today. He argues that modernism has given us elusive unities like 'the press' and 'the public', which are not unities in terms of congruence of its members but instead, popular subjective voices to which indiscriminate or even shallow minds turn to have an opinion. We've lost the ability to think objectively through generalizations. Kierkegaard clearly takes this into a relgious direction, which I think is fascinating but I think the premise holds for general spirituality as well as what outlook you have on life.
Four stars, because I do still intend to read all the individual pieces and don't really want to generalize a judgement for a compilation of all his works here. I am looking forward to the rest of his stuff as I dive further into this research. My lecturer and fellow researcher thankfully seems to understand more of this than I do so off I go to humbly ask him my 5 pages of questions about all this.
October 19, 2013
First a note about the star rating. I'm rating this book not on its worth, obviously, for this book of Søren Kierkegaard's writings edited by W.H. Auden, two authors and thinkers who I cannot and will not criticize, is beyond my ability to grade in context of any literary canon and certain an understanding of any sort of my own. The star rating is simple my personal reaction at the moment reading in time. Now a note about my relationship to the text. I have nothing. It passed before my eyes as if written in a foreign language, which, of course, Kierkegaard did write in, but even the translation into English is an English of which I am illiterate. This may have to do with the fact that Kierkegaard's articulate spiritual writings are impossible for me to articulate. It may just be that I've hit the wall of my own intelligence. That blunt trauma made for a trudge, but it's a path I will return to and will luck and God's will may have the experience of seeing more stars.
April 15, 2022
3,5 stars
October 16, 2023
If you struggle with Christianity, this is some philosophy worth hitting up. Even though this is mid-19th-c., there’s lots of prescience on bourgeoise culture’s obsession with materialism, and the static, compliant Church-body that supports this culture and has lost sight of actual Christian teachings. Lots of complex and droll philosophical syntax to sift through, and Kierkegaard’s voice tends towards the overly-apologetic, especially for his so-called “Christian militantism” he supports as part of a Christian’s daily life, with some real dissonant blind spots towards, I dunno, the Crusades. Chief, that aint it.
Very nice musings on the self, and how we must choose to live actively in a society that encourages a life of passive, sleep-walking conformity and mediocrity.
“The thinker without a paradox is like the lover without feeling: a paltry mediocrity.”
“The maximum of attainment within the sphere of faith is to become infinitely interested in the reality of the teacher.”
“As a free spirit I am born of the principle of contradiction, or born by the fact that I choose myself.”
3.7/5
Very nice musings on the self, and how we must choose to live actively in a society that encourages a life of passive, sleep-walking conformity and mediocrity.
“The thinker without a paradox is like the lover without feeling: a paltry mediocrity.”
“The maximum of attainment within the sphere of faith is to become infinitely interested in the reality of the teacher.”
“As a free spirit I am born of the principle of contradiction, or born by the fact that I choose myself.”
3.7/5
November 10, 2021
I really don't know what to say about this.
I enjoyed some topics in this compilation of Kierkegaard works, but the more I get into the last page, I just don't understand what he was talking about anymore, the reading becomes hard.
Still I didn't regret a bit of having read this book, adding a new way of thinking is not gonna hurt you. It's a good thing. I still am gonna read his Works of Love.
I enjoyed some topics in this compilation of Kierkegaard works, but the more I get into the last page, I just don't understand what he was talking about anymore, the reading becomes hard.
Still I didn't regret a bit of having read this book, adding a new way of thinking is not gonna hurt you. It's a good thing. I still am gonna read his Works of Love.
February 11, 2025
Searing insights, convicting arguments, existentialist. A tidy introduction but too much to try to summarize.
“The Lord, the Lord, the Lord is powerful, and his action is a swift as the leap of a great fish in the sea.”
A quote at the end of a tale about King Nebuchadnezzar being turned into a grass eating beast for seven years to contemplate the omnipotence of the God of Israel in the solitude of his mind, no longer able to speak aloud. Strange (in its most positive sense) and profound thinking. An urgent sense of the individual soul, vulnerable to dissolution within the “public.”
“The Lord, the Lord, the Lord is powerful, and his action is a swift as the leap of a great fish in the sea.”
A quote at the end of a tale about King Nebuchadnezzar being turned into a grass eating beast for seven years to contemplate the omnipotence of the God of Israel in the solitude of his mind, no longer able to speak aloud. Strange (in its most positive sense) and profound thinking. An urgent sense of the individual soul, vulnerable to dissolution within the “public.”
May 18, 2014
Kierkegaard's terse, opaque style requires extremely close reading, even to get a cursory understanding. Turns out I'm not better equipped to do this than I was when I read Fear and Trembling and The Sickness Unto Death a few years back - though Auden's concise intro is very helpful. Whether SK's anguished existentialism is relevant to today's phenomenologists and postmodernists, or if they're just meandering apologia, is a call I'm not yet ready to make.
[Addendum: In my mind I couldn't help connecting the Platonic pursuit of Logos - Kierkegaard's Ethical Religion - with modern scientific positivism. But the ways in which SK critiques it are primarily archaic, mystical abstractions. Ontologically, it might matter if I'm compelled to pursue the Ideals once I understand them, and if the either/or dichotomy of knowledge/ignorance truly encompasses all of human behaviour. But as a system of practical ethics, a scaled-down version of this works for most people. SK's goal is to discover an existentially authentic metaphysics, grounded in Greek philosophy but realisable only in Revealed Faith. That hasn't been supplanted by anything (not to discount efforts by the likes of Heidegger and Foucault). But I still have doubts as to the coherence and workability of SK's weltaunschaung. Ultimately, I suspect that he remains what he was in his own time: ignored by the masses; a philosopher who was, and wrote only for, lonely, thoughtful individuals.]
[Addendum: In my mind I couldn't help connecting the Platonic pursuit of Logos - Kierkegaard's Ethical Religion - with modern scientific positivism. But the ways in which SK critiques it are primarily archaic, mystical abstractions. Ontologically, it might matter if I'm compelled to pursue the Ideals once I understand them, and if the either/or dichotomy of knowledge/ignorance truly encompasses all of human behaviour. But as a system of practical ethics, a scaled-down version of this works for most people. SK's goal is to discover an existentially authentic metaphysics, grounded in Greek philosophy but realisable only in Revealed Faith. That hasn't been supplanted by anything (not to discount efforts by the likes of Heidegger and Foucault). But I still have doubts as to the coherence and workability of SK's weltaunschaung. Ultimately, I suspect that he remains what he was in his own time: ignored by the masses; a philosopher who was, and wrote only for, lonely, thoughtful individuals.]
August 23, 2020
Not a book full of individual takeaways. More like spending an afternoon with a very acute, hyperactive Christian thinker. Kierkegaard recasts the entire drama of Christianity as a battle between the individual and the world. The primary example of this is Christ himself. The God-man tried and crucified. The Christian life is therefore a light that reveals the truth of universal suffering. In light of this truth, Kierkegaard attacks with equal ferocity the blindness of secularism and the complacency of modern Christianity.
To WH Auden’s credit, these passages were very much “living”, if sometimes opaque and hard to completely fathom.
A real romping beach read!
To WH Auden’s credit, these passages were very much “living”, if sometimes opaque and hard to completely fathom.
A real romping beach read!
August 23, 2018
An enjoyable & accessible entry point to Kierkegaard. The introduction by Auden is great in its own right. There is a good mix of longer and shorter passages that span across many of his works. Having read this, I feel that I have a decent grasp on some core concepts that S.K. grapples with, and I have a good idea of what of his I'd like to read next (Repetition, then Fear & Trembling).
May 1, 2023
2.5 stars.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of Kierkegaard's thoughts, covering a wide range of topics, including faith, morality, ethics, love, and human existence. The writings are organised thematically, making it easier for the reader to navigate and comprehend Kierkegaard's complex ideas.
Kierkegaard is difficult to read though even with Auden's arrangement. A lot of the complexity stems from assumption laden philosophical thinking that seems to be worked outward from Kierkegaard's faith in God as opposed to being based on more rigorously thought out conceptual foundations.
For example, Kierkegaard divides human beings into three categories or types to represent development. His reasons for doing this aren't well argued and are clearly biased towards faith. The following are the categories:
The Aesthetic Man: This type of person is concerned with pleasure, enjoyment, and sensory experience. The aesthetic man lives for the moment and seeks to avoid pain and discomfort. He is not interested in making commitments or taking on responsibilities, and his life lacks purpose and meaning.
The Ethical Man: The ethical man, in contrast to the aesthetic man, is concerned with moral values and principles. He seeks to live according to a set of ethical standards and takes responsibility for his actions. The ethical man recognizes the importance of duty, responsibility, and commitment, and strives to live a life that is consistent with his moral beliefs.
The Religious Man: The religious man represents the highest level of human development, according to Kierkegaard. He recognizes the limitations of human reason and seeks to transcend them through a personal relationship with God. The religious man lives a life of faith, guided by his religious beliefs and values. He recognizes the importance of self-sacrifice, love, and humility, and strives to live a life that is consistent with these ideals.
Ok, so arbitrarily enough Kierkegaard favours a subjective faith based existence over others. This is nothing more than opinion. What I find bizarre is he is quite willing to discount the value of objective reality in favour of subjective reality but arrives at monotheistic thinking somehow. For myself, a much more natural conclusion to Kierkegaard's radical religious subjectivity would be an infinite proliferation of Gods and the men who have relationships with them. A scenario like Greek God's make more sense in his worldview than an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent entity.
How does one have a personal relationship with a conceptual idea? You don't.
How does Kierkegaard's philosophical ideas not result in solipsism? If you accept the radical subjectivism and other existential parts of his philosophy but not the God part where are you conceptually? Lastly, a lot of this book is largely waffle sadly as so much of it is based on belief in a human like God which is ridiculous. I will not make that leap of faith as Kierkegaard suggests. There is nothing in radical subjectivism that necessitates such a leap.
People often respect the intelligence of authors responsible for philosophical bamboozlement far too easily. It is largely not understandable because it is largely not well thought out and largely philosophically questionable.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of Kierkegaard's thoughts, covering a wide range of topics, including faith, morality, ethics, love, and human existence. The writings are organised thematically, making it easier for the reader to navigate and comprehend Kierkegaard's complex ideas.
Kierkegaard is difficult to read though even with Auden's arrangement. A lot of the complexity stems from assumption laden philosophical thinking that seems to be worked outward from Kierkegaard's faith in God as opposed to being based on more rigorously thought out conceptual foundations.
For example, Kierkegaard divides human beings into three categories or types to represent development. His reasons for doing this aren't well argued and are clearly biased towards faith. The following are the categories:
The Aesthetic Man: This type of person is concerned with pleasure, enjoyment, and sensory experience. The aesthetic man lives for the moment and seeks to avoid pain and discomfort. He is not interested in making commitments or taking on responsibilities, and his life lacks purpose and meaning.
The Ethical Man: The ethical man, in contrast to the aesthetic man, is concerned with moral values and principles. He seeks to live according to a set of ethical standards and takes responsibility for his actions. The ethical man recognizes the importance of duty, responsibility, and commitment, and strives to live a life that is consistent with his moral beliefs.
The Religious Man: The religious man represents the highest level of human development, according to Kierkegaard. He recognizes the limitations of human reason and seeks to transcend them through a personal relationship with God. The religious man lives a life of faith, guided by his religious beliefs and values. He recognizes the importance of self-sacrifice, love, and humility, and strives to live a life that is consistent with these ideals.
Ok, so arbitrarily enough Kierkegaard favours a subjective faith based existence over others. This is nothing more than opinion. What I find bizarre is he is quite willing to discount the value of objective reality in favour of subjective reality but arrives at monotheistic thinking somehow. For myself, a much more natural conclusion to Kierkegaard's radical religious subjectivity would be an infinite proliferation of Gods and the men who have relationships with them. A scenario like Greek God's make more sense in his worldview than an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent entity.
How does one have a personal relationship with a conceptual idea? You don't.
How does Kierkegaard's philosophical ideas not result in solipsism? If you accept the radical subjectivism and other existential parts of his philosophy but not the God part where are you conceptually? Lastly, a lot of this book is largely waffle sadly as so much of it is based on belief in a human like God which is ridiculous. I will not make that leap of faith as Kierkegaard suggests. There is nothing in radical subjectivism that necessitates such a leap.
People often respect the intelligence of authors responsible for philosophical bamboozlement far too easily. It is largely not understandable because it is largely not well thought out and largely philosophically questionable.
January 6, 2020
There is no question that Soren Kierkegaard is a radical genius. I am impressed by his erudition and his drive to put our assumptions, attitudes, and self-deceptions to the test.
He is REALLY hard to read, however. And I feel I need a third person to help me. He uses words in ways that need a teacher's explication or encouragement. I finally did learn what he means by reflection and immediacy. But there are many other things about which I am in the dark. I would like not to be in the dark. The reason is that I believe I may be dealing with one of the most honest and disciplined, yet poetic minds of the past couple of hundred years.
I found that the easiest section of this nice anthology edited by W.H. Auden is from "The Present Age" in which Rev. Kierkegaard shows himself to be a cold-eyed critic of the world of media and the press, a skeptic about democracy (at least as we know it), and a despiser of that abstract entity that he calls "the public." Love it!
He left me far behind him in the more philosophical and theological writings that appear in the book -- for example, "The Aesthetic, the Ethical, and the Religious" and "Christ the Offense." I thought I was prepared for the first by Mr. Auden's introduction. Not! And I thought I'd be on more familiar territory in the second. Not! I did not even try looking at "The Subjective Thinker."
He is REALLY hard to read, however. And I feel I need a third person to help me. He uses words in ways that need a teacher's explication or encouragement. I finally did learn what he means by reflection and immediacy. But there are many other things about which I am in the dark. I would like not to be in the dark. The reason is that I believe I may be dealing with one of the most honest and disciplined, yet poetic minds of the past couple of hundred years.
I found that the easiest section of this nice anthology edited by W.H. Auden is from "The Present Age" in which Rev. Kierkegaard shows himself to be a cold-eyed critic of the world of media and the press, a skeptic about democracy (at least as we know it), and a despiser of that abstract entity that he calls "the public." Love it!
He left me far behind him in the more philosophical and theological writings that appear in the book -- for example, "The Aesthetic, the Ethical, and the Religious" and "Christ the Offense." I thought I was prepared for the first by Mr. Auden's introduction. Not! And I thought I'd be on more familiar territory in the second. Not! I did not even try looking at "The Subjective Thinker."
April 21, 2021
Truly challenging to grapple with, as S.K. wrote some of the deepest, true-to-the-marrow existential lines I've encountered, but also got himself tangled up in illogical religious mumbo-jumbo (which, because he used pseudonyms, and was the melancholy son of a preacher, might actually be deeply scathing and ironic?). I still won't take the "leap of faith", however, and I don't care to read a biography to learn more about the man, although his writing is consistently strong. Nevertheless, it had been two decades since I first read any of S.K.'s work, and I appreciated struggling with this book, which I marked up more than any in recent memory.
April 7, 2018
Undoubtedly one of my favorite reads. From Søren Kierkegaard's account, he lays out figments of thought and viewpoints which are incredibly universal in the application–an element which draws so much favor towards existentialism on my part. At the very least, his work will challenge you to think. You can read a couple of pages and easily chew on the content for a couple of days.
Whether you're looking for metaphysical philosophy, political philosophy, self-help type bullshit, or exploring the ways of an interesting character like Kierkegaard, I highly suggest this book to you.
Whether you're looking for metaphysical philosophy, political philosophy, self-help type bullshit, or exploring the ways of an interesting character like Kierkegaard, I highly suggest this book to you.
June 28, 2018
The earliest philosopher who reads like a modern thinker. Kierkegaard had two strikes against him: he was 1) a Dane, and 2) a Christian. Irregardless, he deals with subjectivity, angst, and the absurd. His writing style is aphoristic and often ironic.
Auden's anthology captures the breadth of Kierkegaard's thinking at the expense of his extended meditations. Even so, it's an excellent entry into his philosophy. It helps that Auden shares Kierkegaard's faith.
Auden's anthology captures the breadth of Kierkegaard's thinking at the expense of his extended meditations. Even so, it's an excellent entry into his philosophy. It helps that Auden shares Kierkegaard's faith.
May 9, 2023
This is a fine collection of Kierkegaard's thoughts on authenticity, the existence of good faith humanity, and Christianity in a secular (and more interestingly, in a nominally 'Christian') society.
This serves as a good introduction, although I think the prose was at times a bit too stodgy, and doesn't present Kierkegaard with the sharp irony for which his style is known. All in all a recommend for those curious about this essential modern Danish philosopher. 3.5/5
This serves as a good introduction, although I think the prose was at times a bit too stodgy, and doesn't present Kierkegaard with the sharp irony for which his style is known. All in all a recommend for those curious about this essential modern Danish philosopher. 3.5/5
July 27, 2025
finished on a hammock in Quebec and a deer visited me while I was reading it. eerie experience, not totally sure I get his philosophy yet but I will keep trying. might read fear and trembling next - reading an author's journal always works for me in helping me understand their greater perspective on being.
May 6, 2022
It much easier and more instructive to read Kierkegaard directly than Ayer's attempt to cram all his writings into one slim volune.
Read
July 10, 2022Understood about 20 percent, but it was a good 20.
April 18, 2024
"offense is unhappy admiration"
December 22, 2024
Lovely collections of Kierkegaard's writings. It's organised in a very helpful way and the volume grasps the heart of Kierkegaard's thought.
January 8, 2009
Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher in the 1800s whose writings are very helpful and challenging still today. His writings would influence later existentialists, both atheist and Christian. His critique of stale, lifeless religion is still appropriate. Also helpful today are his comments on science and religion, objectivity and subjectivity.
This collection of his writings comes with a nice introduction to his life and thought. The collection is a good beginning place to engage Kierkegaard, with chapters on "the present age", "the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious", "the subjective thinker", "sin and dread", and "Christ the offense." Kierkegaard is thick and his writings demand rereading and slow reading; I am sure I will return to this book often in an attempt to better understand his thought.
My one problem with this book is that there are no references. It is a collection of excerpts from his writings, but there is no way to tell which individual writings each excerpt comes from. Other than that, this book is great.
This collection of his writings comes with a nice introduction to his life and thought. The collection is a good beginning place to engage Kierkegaard, with chapters on "the present age", "the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious", "the subjective thinker", "sin and dread", and "Christ the offense." Kierkegaard is thick and his writings demand rereading and slow reading; I am sure I will return to this book often in an attempt to better understand his thought.
My one problem with this book is that there are no references. It is a collection of excerpts from his writings, but there is no way to tell which individual writings each excerpt comes from. Other than that, this book is great.
December 6, 2007
he changed my life
my analytical perceptions towards morality
and how that morality interacts with the spiritual.
my analytical perceptions towards morality
and how that morality interacts with the spiritual.
July 28, 2008
a great collage of SK's most percussive aphorisms
September 3, 2009
This is a pretty great anthology of Kierkegaard. It's edited by W.H. Auden, and is a bit quirky that way.
January 14, 2014
Did not click with me. Could not relate to the text.
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