The Kierkegaard Reader

by Søren Kierkegaard (Editor), Jonathan Rée (Editor)

This anthology is the first attempt to present a rounded picture of 'Kierkegaard as a philosopher' in English. After an introduction explaining how Kierkegaard viewed the task of 'becoming a philosopher', there are generous extracts from the Concept of Irony and the great pseudonymous works: Either/Or, Fear and Trembling, Repetition, Philosophical Fragments, The Concept of Anxiety, Prefaces, Johannes Climacus and Concluding Unscientific Postscript. Kierkegaard's own attempts to summarize the significance of his writings are also included, so that readers have the opportunity to make up their own minds about the adequacy of his retrospective accounting.

The Kierkegaard who emerges from these pages is not only a penetrating analyst of temporality, individuality, and irony, but also a lithe, witty and versatile stylist. He is probably one of the greatest writers in the philosophical tradition, and surely one of the most humorous.

The anthology makes use of a range of classic translations, and includes new translations by Jane Chamberlain and Jonathan Rée, explanatory introductions, an index and a glossary.

Genres: Philosophy

414 pages, Hardcover

First published July 12, 2001

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

[Sue]

This has been a slog. I've read lots about Kierkegaard and his philosophy, rating him on that basis as one of my favourite thinkers. The introduction to this book is excellent-I read it first. But I certainly struggled with Kierkegaard's own writings. I persevered only because I had such a strong interest rather than was liking the work. The reward comes towards the end of the reader, with Kierkegaard's reviews of the present age (section 5). This is 1846 and his thoughts are incredibly incisive about the mores and morals of this time, and also prophetically accurate about their historical consequences. It's hard for modern readers to engage with prose written in an older style, and that was certainly part of my struggle to read Kierkegaard. But some of his writings in this reader are also somewhat superficial and self-obsessed. So although i still think he could be one of my favourite thinkers, I need to read more of his works before I make up my mind.

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Repetition" and "Johannes Climacus" stand out as my favorite sections. Kierkegaard certainly has an odd and idiosyncratic mind, but that is what makes reading him distinctive and worthwhile, in my opinion.