For Self-Examination and Judge for Yourselves!

by Søren Kierkegaard, Walter Lowrie (Translation)

For Self-Examination and its companion piece Judge for Yourself! are the culmination of Soren Kierkegaard's "second authorship," which followed his Concluding Unscientific Postscript. Among the simplest and most readily comprehended of Kierkegaard's books, the two works are part of the signed direct communications, as distinguished from his earlier pseudonymous writings. The lucidity and pithiness and earnestness and power, of For Self-Examination and Judge for Yourself! are enhanced when, as Kierkegaard requested, they are read aloud. They contain the well-known passsages on Socrates' defense speech, how to read, the lover's letter, the royal coachman and the carriage team, and the painter's relation to his painting.
The aim of awakening and inward deepening is signaled by the opening section on Socrates in For Self-Examination and is pursued in the context of the relations of Christian ideality, grace, and response. The secondary aim, a critique of the established order, links the works to the final polemical writings that appear later after a four-year period of silence.


Originally published in 1944.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology, Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, Classics

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 1851

About the author

Søren 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.

Reviews

[Paul Gleason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of Kierkegaard's most accessible books and the beginning of his "Attack on Christendom." It's also utterly brilliant.

The method is deconstruction - and Kierkegaard passionately points out everything that's wrong with modern Christianity, from its hypocrisies to its existence as a "gentle comforter" and not an imitation of the suffering of Jesus to how priests and the like are careerists who make a nice living on Jesus' suffering.

I could go on. But SK's central point is that Christianity has become easy and herd-like - something to do because you're told to do it. It's a confusing set of doctrines and not an existential act that requires the deepest of all sufferings. Most people don't even understand what it is because they've learned it from "specialists" and or their parents. And this lack of understanding and even hatred are justified in SK's estimation.

You can't be taught Christianity by another person. It doesn't exist to comfort you.

But it calls you when you're in the depths of despair. Then - and only then - can you make a decisive decision that will lead you to faith and enter into a new existence, terrifying existence that separates you from everything you once knew.

SK argues to avoid priests, churches, and all people who want to think for you.

Think for yourself!

[Nemo]

Jesus and Socrates have much in common, according to Kierkegaard: Both were terrible robbers and both were sentenced to death for their robbery.

"A thief can steal my money; in so doing we are in disagreement, but in another sense we are completely in agreement, because the thief really shares my opinion that money is a great good. A slanderer can steal my honor and reputation, but the slanderer shares my opinion that honor and reputation are a great good, and that is why he robs me of mine. But in a much more cunning way one can rob us, so to speak, of all our money, honor, reputation, etc., steal from our human lives that in which we human beings have our lives. That is indeed what he, the accused, did.

He did not steal the rich man's money--no, but he took the idea away from the possession of money. "O miserable, despicable Mammon," that is what his life expressed... Neither was he a slanderer who diminished anyone's honor and reputation--no, but he took the idea away from human honor and reputation. "O miserable fool's costume," his life expressed,...

For the kind of robbery he has committed against us all there is only one punishment--the death penalty."

I suspect Kierkegaard would have charged both Socrates and Jesus with "crime against humanity" if the term had been in use in his time. Which is worse, to deprive millions of their lives (and yet in doing so affirm their humanity in a perverse way), or to deny the humanity and dignity of the whole human race? Socrates exposed the worthlessness of common lives by living an "examined life"; Jesus condemned humanity by contrasting it with his own blameless life. It is not surprising, therefore, that humanity sentenced them both to death, acting in self-defense.

[Bart de Bruin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Het boek Tot Zelfonderzoek en andere Religieuze geschriften (507 p., 2025) van Kierkegaard is het 17e boek van Søren Kierkegaard Werken die bij Damon uitgegeven is. Dit boek is nog niet te vinden op GoodReads, vandaar dat ik deze versie van het boek heb gekozen.

Wat een prachtig boek wat vraagt om zelfreflectie! Scherp en barmhartig zoals Kierkegaard schrijft en vanuit verschillende Bijbelgedeelten preken en toespraken schrijft. Tegenover een Deense volkskerk waar iedereen als christen gezien werd en de dominees wel verkondigden maar weinig het navolgen van Jezus vorm gaven, vraagt Kierkegaard om erkenning van dit tekort, van deze afwijking van het Evangelie. Niet dat hij het zelf beter doet, maar wil graag evangelie van Jezus in genade én navolging weer laten klinken. Mooie inzichten en vondsten die tot nadenken zetten.
Tolle lege!

[Alex Obrigewitsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

It amazes me that some fools today can claim that Kierkegaard has no idea what self-examination is - he who was reflection itself! The ptoblem is that said people are so wrapped up in the life of Christendom - that secular life which play-acts as religiousity, which has only swelled in the time since Kierkegaard's death. Such people today, have they ever looked at themselves in the mirror of the Word? Have they looked to Chirst as a prototype, the life or existence to br imitated? Surely not, for if they had they would be cast down in the dejection of being such abominable failures.

For what does Christianity demand? Thr unconditional - to sacrifice one's self, to die to the world, in order to affirm the other, in love, before and above one's self. Only by undergoing the kenotic self-emptying of becoming nothing, being ridiculed and despised by the world as a fool and a madman - only thus may one, affirming even this, against oneself, come to the inwardness of the relation with God - the passionate loss in the finite which rends a hole in the individual, exploding out into the infinite. Such a seemingly paradoxical and absurd life - to embrace death and defacement in the name of God and love - if one cannot see the religious, what it means to become a Christian qua Christ himself, in this, then one has all but lost themself in this world, which only ammounts to an absolute preclusion of a life through the infinite.

The Word ever awaits for you to come to it, in silence, and let it speak through your nothingness into the play of life through death, death through life.

[John Yelverton · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an absolutely abysmal read, as Kierkegaard obviously has no idea what self examination actually is, let alone how to do it Biblically.

[Micah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"in the exchange of ideas they fight about it, they write books about it; it becomes a branch of scholarship all its own, and perhaps one even makes it into a livelihood and becomes a professor in the subject, omitting or forgetting that the real simplicity, the truly simple exposition of the essentially Christian is - to do it."

Is it possible to sacrifice one's life for an ideal, to die for a good cause, one that moreover is certain to fail and only inflict suffering, poverty, torment, persecution and humiliation on its defender? Well, technically no. And why would you want that or attempt it? I'm not sure Kierkegaard makes that very clear. But it's hard to deny that he has sniffed out quite a contrast between superficial talking about ideals and actually relating to them as an implicated individual without illusions, excuses, flabby weakness, comforts and false promises.

[JJS. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two of Kierkegaard's (relatively) easier works. 'For Self-Examination' was a particularly good and fairly concise work; 'Judge for Yourself!' was also good, but was a bit longer than it needed to be and involved a lot more expatiating on the part of the author. Rating them separately, 'For Self-Examination' is a solid five stars, while 'Judge for Yourself!' is a three star work, or maybe three and half stars.

[Jack Moriarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful place to start with Kierkegaard. Both pieces in this edition are meant to be read aloud, so they are easily digestible. This was one of the first works of Kierkegaards to be translated to english. Highly recommend.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I most remember from this book is Kierkegaard exhortation to read the Bible (and I think every book) in a certain way. The metaphor he uses is that each book is a mirror, and the critics look at ALL the contours of the mirror, its shape, its size, its imperfections. They are so busy looking at the mirror that they don't look at themselves in the mirror. Which is precisely the point of every mirror and every book (especially the Bible): to judge one's self and subject one self to the commandments of God and to subject one's judgement to the facts one has just learned. In other words, make every book a jumping off place for self-transformation, not an object to shout at about its imperfections while ignoring what it says about yourself. And this applies especially to the Bible (cough, cough German rationalists).

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first experience reading Kierkegaard's work was wonderful. I felt his writing on the Christian faith to be inspirational, minus the male chauvinism. He takes a patriarchal, complementarian's view, and does so in a heavyhanded way. In spite of that, his ability to connect doctrine and daily living gives his theology internal integrity. Until I know better, I'll consider that he's a man of a certain. It doesn't make him less sexist, but it at least puts his misogyny in context. I can critique that and still appreciate how his simple effort of applying his read of scripture to actual life give his work depth.

[orion g green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading it now. I began it about a month ago. I find him to be one of the most careful and perceptive writers on what it means to be a New Testamemt Christian. I love his sense of irony.

[Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Convicting.

[Craig Williford · Rating 5 out of 5]

See, the tale the prophet told was a story’s but this “thou art the man” - this was another story - this was the transition to the subjective.

[Chrisanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard book to rate so don't take those stars seriously. I decided I had to read Kierkegaard after Geritt W Gong used some of his thoughts in a speech. He is an interesting voice--sometimes seeming thoughtful and paced and other times seemingly rushing headlong into a thought without fully processing it. I loved the letter analogy, thought it was unique and full of meaning but skimmed through the last of "Be Sober" because it didn't seem to lead anywhere. Some of the translation seemed polished and some of it seemed to struggle. Perhaps that in itself is a metaphor for life.

[Neil White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kierkegard is advocating for an imitation of Christ piety within a Lutheran theological framework. This is a work that is located within the protest against a hardened Lutheran orthodoxy in his time. There are some good, evocative lines and illustrations but partially because of the date of the book it is a bit dry.

[Andy Lind · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read. Many of the points Kierkegaard stresses in this book need to be preached in churches today, but are not. His emphasis on humility was my personal favorite part of the entire book as that is something I myself am trying to work on in my own life.

[Joseph Kugelmass · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, angry howl of idealistic Christianity. Occasionally wordsick, but always for good reasons, Kierkegaard repeats himself for fear of being not heard, even by his readers. The incantations don't shine, but they fail and stumble along with a beautiful sincerity.

[Henk-Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eén van de helderste werken van Kierkegaard. De navolgimg van Christus als polsslag van het geloof, als verlossing van die verschrikkelijk onzaligheid, als tegengif voor de twijfel, om te sterven aan jezelf.

[David Pulliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judge for yourselves is much more applicable to our day and age both are by far the most accessible works of Kierkegaard I’ve read.

[Jayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kierkegaard always makes me think. There are three main writtings, the first which implores the Christian reader to read the Bible with a sense of 'It is I' in order to humble oneself. The latter writings speak about how watered down and cheap Christianity has become. How people wish to obtain the honor due to the early martyrs by mere association. He also hits on some other topics such as probability and how it serves to make us ignore the truth. How sagacity has become a cop-out for true Christian living that demands everything of you. He says that even if you fail to live up to the standard, the standard hasn't changed, if you cannot adhere to the standard, at least have the decency to admit it, that you are merely playing the game. I can see why he was much disliked during his time.

[Stephen Drew]

Highly recommended by Matthew Arbo

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely moving critique of complacent Christianity and a rallying call for authentic faith:

"Ah, we who still call ourselves Christians are from the Christian point of view so pampered, so far from being what Christianity does indeed require of those who want to call themselves Christians - dead to the world...well, then let us at least be honest and admit it....Believe me (I say it to my own shame), I, too, am all too pampered" 12

The book reads as three sermons on different New Testament texts (James 1.22ff, the Ascension story of Luke, the Pentecost story of Acts). In general, Kierkegaard has had mixed reception in later Christian theology (Barth said of K, "I consider him to be a teacher whose school every theologian must enter once. Woe to him who misses it- provided only that he does not remain in or return to it"). As I read though, I couldn't help notice that one of Barth's contemporary had thoroughly digested Kierkegaard - Bonhoeffer. Just as Barth built much of his dogmatic theology (starting in the 2nd edition of "Epistle to the Romans") on K's "infinite qualitative distinction," one of Bonhoeffer's hallmark theological phrases was culled from K: cheap grace. "There is always a secular mentality," writes K, "that no doubt wants to have the name of being Christian but wants to become Christian as cheaply as possible. This secular mentality became aware of Luther..." (16). K traces cheap grace, as does Bonhoeffer, from the monastic movement to Luther rejection of works-based righteousness. The first chapter of Bonhoeffer's magisterial "Discipleship" runs nearly tandem to K here - a fact that the Fortress Press Critical Edition of "Discipleship" does not miss.

Aside from this intertextual tidbit, "For Self-Examination" is the perfect piece for any biblical scholar in possession of plentiful hubris. K's justly famous comparison of the Word of God to a love letter written in another language invites us to use scholarship to read the Bible, but to get beyond scholarship to the good news of God's love in Christ (see "Imagine a lover who has received a letter from his beloved..." and following on p. 26. Read it; it's great!)



Memorable quotes:

Just read the whole first part of the book; it's very direct for K and simply a joy.

[Jungsook Chung · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was in junior high school, I was exposed to the book titled 'The Sickness unto Death' by Soren Kierkegaard. This book belonged to my uncle who was majoring in philosophy at Seoul National University at those days. Therefore I had a chance to be familiar with the world-famous philosopher, Kierkegaard since my childhood. But I didn't dare to read any of the philosopher's books. While I was reading the introductory book of Jung, the Swiss Psychologist, I met Kierkegaard's name many times. I learned Kierkegaard influenced Freud, and Kierkegaard is considered the greatest psychologist of the soul since Augustine.

When I had a chance to listen to the audiobook about his lectures by Stephen Backhouse, I was excited. It was almost like his biography. It suggests starting with the book 'For Self-Examination/Judge for Yourself' to the beginners of Kierkegaard since the book is the most accessible. 'For Self Examination' is for reflection, which reminds me of St. Ignatius' daily conscious examen but more in a strict way.

I will not deal with everything I learned. But I would like to stick to this one at least. If you resolve to do something, but I will do it next time or the following day, you will be a loser. Let's make it believe that you are a gambler. Well, now you may gamble every blessed day all the rest of your life, but tonight you will leave it alone. - You are saved for sure. The reason is that the first gamble is tricked by the craving; the one is fooled by the craving and the second fools the craving. The craving is strong only momentarily if there is waiting to do, then it loses the craving.)

According to Kierkegaard, the only person who is completely sober is the person whose understanding is action. Your understanding as a Christian must immediately be actioned. We do not appreciate God because of his gifts. What is truly inspiring is not the gifts but God.

I am amazed by how Kierkegaard appreciated Jesus and thought of him so dearly and deeply. He must have reflected on Jesus constantly and felt so close to him.

[cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kierkegaard is at once a daunting and fantastic author. So much so that it is often hard enough to know where to start. I have many Christian friends who want to know where to start, and I can recommend no book more highly than this one. With vivid examples and metaphors, incisive observations, and piercing wit, Kierkegaard takes aim at anything that would preport to be Christianity but that eschews the true costs and beauty of following Christ. Whether it is redefining what it means to live soberly or how one could ever hope to serve only one master, Kierkegaard is absolutely serious about the actualization of faith and the sanctity of what he dubs "the eternal." You will be convicted.

[Sarah (TheLibrarysKeeper) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first time I've read anything by Kierkegaard and I honestly really enjoyed it. The book was full of really deep information and since I was reading it for a Luther class I picked up on a great deal of comparisons and similarities between the two. In addition, his humor is literally perfect. I found myself actually laughing aloud!

[Adam Gossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like listening to my soul and heart talk w my mind.

[Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Self-Examination in particular has some great takeaways. Kierkegaard is one of those rare authors that make you have to reread a single page over and over. In a good way.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent