Kierkegaard's Existentialism: The Theological Self and The Existential Self

by George Leone

"Kierkegaard's complex legacy has been claimed by two often strikingly disjunctive the Christian and the existential. Leone, however, argues that a sensitive reading of the Danish philosopher reveals that the two strains are inseparable, producing an inclusive view of the self that is aware of its worldly manifestations as well as its spiritual relation to the absolute...Along the way, Leone astutely tackles some of the central topics in Kierkegaard's esoteric body of work, including his unconventional view of God, his radical interpretation of faith, and his groundbreaking view of ethics, which turn out to be demanding but unencumbered by normative standards. What emerges from this analysis is a lively portrait of a philosopher who understood better than any philosopher before him the basic paradox of the self. Leone's prose is refreshingly lucid...Still, the scholarly aims require a close read...A welcome, rigorous contribution to Kierkegaard-ian scholarship." From a Kirkus Review

146 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2014