Kierkegaard: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #058

by Patrick L. Gardiner

Scholars have largely misunderstood Soren Kierkegaard, remembering him chiefly in connection with the development of existentialist philosophy in this century. In a short and unhappy life, he wrote many books and articles on literary, satirical, religious and psychological themes, but the diversity and idiosyncratic style of his writing have contributed to a misunderstanding of his ideas. In this book--the only introduction to the full range of Kierkegaard's thought--Patrick Gardiner demonstrates how Kierkegaard developed his ideas and examines his thoughts in light of the doctrines on society developed by his contemporaries Marx and Feuerbach. Finally, he assesses the profound importance of Kierkegaard's ideas on the development of modern ways of thinking.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Biography, Religion, Reference, Denmark, Ebooks

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Patrick Lancaster Gardiner was a British academic philosopher, a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford.

His father was Clive Gardiner, a landscape artist and principal of Goldsmiths College; his mother was Lilian Lancaster, an artist and a pupil of Walter Sickert. His paternal grandfather was Alfred George Gardiner, editor of The Daily News. His younger brother was the architect Stephen Gardiner. He was educated at Westminster School, and then received a First in history from Christ Church, Oxford. After Army service in Italy, North Africa and Austria, he returned to Oxford for a second B.A., in PPE (politics, philosophy and economics).

He was appointed to Wadham College, Oxford (1949), and then St Anthony's College, Oxford (1952). His first published book was The Nature of Historical Explanation in 1952 In 1958 he became a Fellow of Magdalen College, where he remained, becoming an Emeritus Fellow in 1989.

He married Susan Booth (1934–2006) in 1955, and had two daughters.

Reviews

[Roy Lotz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another admirable addition to the VSI series. Gardner has taken on quite a task, considering the scope and variety of Kierkegaard’s thinking. For how does one introduce a thinker who himself had no system? Gardner accomplishes this by focusing on the aspects of Kierkegaard’s thought that have had the most relevance to the philosophical mainstream. The result is a surprisingly heavy read for a light book. Gardner finds space to include background in Kant and Hegel before launching into Kierkegaard’s ideas; and the background is appreciated, since it allows the reader to see how the Danish writer—who rarely appears to be a philosopher in the traditional sense—was reacting to long-standing philosophical inquiries.

I picked up this book because Kierkegaard is among that rare class of writers who are both eloquent and obscure. But if anything Gardner has confirmed my aversion for Kierkegaard, for the philosopher emerges in these pages as a regular knight of faith, counseling a blind leap into a paradoxical beyond. It is hard for this nonbeliever to see the value in all this. Kierkegaard was reacting to many contemporary currents, but perhaps the most prominent was Hegel’s thought. He is often described as providing an individualistic counterpoint to Hegel’s objectivist system. This may be true; but the result is a style of thinking that is undeniably anti-rationalist. And this is difficult for me to abide.

[Makmild · Rating 5 out of 5]

ชอบ รู้สึกถูกจริตแต่แน่ใจมากว่าสิ่งที่เข้าใจกับสิ่งที่เคียเคอการ์ดเขียนและอยากสื่อ ไม่น่าสื่อมาถึงเท่าไร และไม่แน่ว่าสิ่งที่สื่อมาเราอาจจะเข้าใจผิดไปเองด้วย 555555555

ส่วนตัวแล้วรู้สึกว่าเล่มนี้เป็น VSI ที่ทำหน้าที่ได้อย่างดีเยี่ยม คือ อธิบายอย่างคร่าวๆ แล้วทำให้เราอยากไปอ่านงานเต็มๆ ของเคียร์เคอการ์ดว่ามันเป็นอย่างไร เพราะสิ่งที่หยิบยกมาตัวนักเขียนก็ได้พยายามตีความในบริบทหนึ่งๆ เท่านั้นเอง โดยเทียบเคียงกับนักปรัชญาต่างๆ โดยเฉพาะเฮเกล ไปจนถึงนิทเช่ และคานท์ด้วย

จากการอ่านงานปรัชญามา (ซึ่งก็น้อยเหลือทน) นับได้ว่าเคียร์เคอการ์ดเป็นนักปรัชญาที่ห้าวตีนไม่น้อย ท้าต่อยตีกับเขาไปทั่ว 555555 และเป็นนักปรัชญาที่พยายามหาเหตุผลให้กับศรัทธาแบบศาสนา ซึ่งส่วนตัวแล้วรู้สึกว่าเป็นความพยายามที่ขัดแย้ง ย้อนแย้งอย่างหามิได้ แต่กระนั้นก็ราวกับว่าเป็นการดิ้นรนหาเหตุผลของการดำรงอยู่ของมนุษย์ด้วยเช่นเดียวกัน การอ่านฉบับย่อเล่มนี้เลยทำให้เราอดรู้สึกร่วมกับเขาไม่ได้ เพราะโดยส่วนตัวแล้วเราเองก็ไม่ได้เป็นพวกเหตุผลนิยม (อย่างคานท์) ขนาดนั้น แต่จะให้ปักใจเชื่อความศรัทธาเต็มเปี่ยมของพระเจ้า (หรือพระพุทธเจ้าหรือพระเจ้าองค์ใดก็ตามแต่) ก็ไม่อาจทำได้เต็มที่ด้วยเช่นกัน การดิ้นรนพยายามหาเหตุผลให้กับตัวเองพอๆ กับการเหตุผลให้กับความศรัทธากับสิ่งที่ไม่แน่ชัดว่ามีหรือไม่มันเลยทัชใจมั่กๆ ไอ้ความกระเสือกกระสนดิ้นร้นในความขัดแย้งกันนี่ อ่านยากเหลือเกินพ่อคุ๊น

แม้จะบอกว่า "อยากอ่านต่อ" แต่แน่นอนว่าไม่ไปหาอ่านหรอกจ้า งานพ่อน่าจะยากเหลือทน แล้วก็คงหาที่แปลไทยได้ยากยิ่ง ขอบคุณสนพที่กล้าหาญเอามาแปลมากๆ จริงๆ ค่ะ นับถือ

[Kin · Rating 4 out of 5]

เคียร์เคอการ์ดนี่เป็นนักปรัชย้านักปรัชญา มุทะลุ ดุดัน และพร้อมจะถกเถียงกับผู้คนมากมายในชีวิตโดยไม่ได้เกรงหน้าอินทร์หน้าพรหมที่ไหน สองบทแรกสนุกมาก สำบัดสำนวน แต่ก็ยังเข้าใจได้ง่ายสำหรับคนที่ไม่มีพื้นฐาน โชว์ให้เห็นความเป็นคนคูลๆ ของนักปรัชญาที่ถ้าใครเคยอ่านงานต้นฉบับจะรู้ว่า highly quotable และค่อนข้างยืนยงข้ามเวลา

แต่หลังจากนั้นเป็นต้นไปขอเอาใจช่วยทุกคนที่ไม่มีพื้นฐานปรัชญาใดๆ เลย ขอยกให้เป็นหนังสือที่อ่านยากที่สุดเล่มหนึ่งในชีวิต ด้วยลูกเล่นของภาษา (ซึ่งเก่าพอควรเพราะต้นฉบับเขียนตั้งแต่ 1960s-70s ถ้าจำไม่ผิด) ประกอบกับประโยคขยายแล้วขยายเล่ายาวเป็นย่อหน้าโดยนักเขียนผู้เป็นนายของภาษาโดยแท้เนี่ย พอแปลเป็นไทยก็ไม่ต้องกลัวเลยว่าจะโดนคนด่าแน่นอนว่าอ่านไม่รู้เรื่อง แต่ต้องชื่นชมในความกล้าหาญของ สนพ และความพยายามของทุกคนที่อยู่ใน process ของการแปลและปรับแก้ ที่ทำให้อ่านรู้เรื่องที่สุดเท่าที่จะเป็นไปได้

ยังไม่เสร็จดี แต่ต้นปีหน้าคงได้อ่านกันครับ

[Marc Lamot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of course this is only a first introduction to what appears to be a very complex thinker. It strikes me how prudently Gardiner stays and constantly emphasizes that it is not entirely clear what Kierkegaard meant exactly, that he sometimes expressed himself carelessly or very vague and even contradicted himself. That makes it difficult to captivate a thinker like Kierkegaard, and it gives rise to different interpretations. But I think Gardiner has in any case made a very creditable attempt to explain the intuitions of Kierkegaard (I use the word intuition intentionally). I think I will eventually try to tackle the real thing, some time in the future.

[Jeneva Izorion · Rating 4 out of 5]

ถึงเป็น VSI แต่ก็ไม่รับประกันว่าอ่านง่าย รู้สึกว่าเข้าใจจริง ๆ น่าจะแค่ครึ่งเล่ม พาร์ทที่เกี่ยวกับศรัทธา ศาสนาไรนี่คือไม่ค่อยรู้เรื่องละ [เอาจริงไม่ได้อินด้วย 555] แต่ที่เห็นได้จากการอ่านก็คือ Kierkegaard เป็นคนที่แหกสไตล์จากนักปรัชญาดัง ๆ อย่าง Kant Hegel ที่เป็นเหตุผลนิยม

ไอเดียในส่วนที่เข้าใจที่ชอบก็น่าจะเป็นการใช้ชีวิต 3 แบบ แบบสุนทรีย จริย ศาสน ที่เห็นได้ชัดดีว่าสุนทรียกับจริยต่างกันยังไง [แต่จริยกับศาสนนี่ยังมึน ๆ อยู่] คิดว่าในฐานะผู้ไม่อินกับศาสนา ชีวิตนี้ไปได้ถึงขั้นจริยก็พอละ

[Ivy-Mabel Fling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is a good, clear introduction to a thinker whose thoughts were rather unusual, to say the least! I would definitely recommend this short introduction (they vary tremendously).

[Benjamin Lion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goeie introductie in het werk en denken van Kierkegaard. (Nederlandse vertaling gelezen)

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've made one or two attempts to read Kierkegaard, that 19th century Dane (1813-1855), always cited as a dominant figure in modern philosophical and religious thinking. I found him impenetrable, and he just gave me a headache trying to figure out what on earth he was talking about.

That said, I happened across this work in my local library, one in the series of hundreds of "very short" introductions put out by Oxford University. I had read one on consciousness which I though was quite clear and interesting, so I thought I'd see what had been done with Kierkegaard.

I was relieved to find out that Kierkegaard is indeed difficult to read (my frustration wasn't all my fault!). Writing about PHILOSOPHICAL FRAGMENTS, Gardiner writes that it induces a "certain bewilderment" and adds in another place, "it would be hard for even the most sympathetic of Kierkegaard's commentators to contend that his writing are conspicuous for their consistency and precision." As far as I could tell, the difficulty is that he uses different voices to express differing subjective views, without reconciling them, leaving that, I presume to the reader.

What is Kierkegaards' importance? Always, he seems to insist that people are given to abstractions and take refuge in a depersonalized realm of ideas and doctrines. Christianity is particularly prone to this tendency. He insists that Christianity is not a matter of objective knowledge, but is inherently paradoxical. Understanding must be "crucified", that is to say its appeal or truth is to commit oneself to the absurdity of Christ's death on the cross having any rational meaning. Once committed, though, the believer has to constantly challenge the "risk" or folly to make his "belief" valid.

The alternative, and the background against which Kierkegaard rebelled, is a complacent bourgeois self-satisfied hypocrisy, found in the Denmark of his day, which demanded nothing more of the individual than just following outward and conventional forms of Christian practice.
Gardiner goes into some detail about Kierkegaard's three spheres of existence, aesthetic, religious, and ethical. Most people exist mostly in the aesthetic sphere, reacting to what they perceive as beauty or ugliness, but again, this is tricky and always prone to self-deception. The religious and ethical spheres overlap, and again there is the element of paradox. We strive for a universal dimension that goes beyond purely personal and selfish choices, but t hat dimension is always subject to error. I think that Kierkegaard saw in Christ a figure that balanced these tendencies, but Gardiner's explanations were heavy-going and abstruse.

So, am I now moved to tackle Kierkegaard once again, having been "introduced" to what he was really up to? No, but I now have more of an idea of why he's considered important. So much of our modern western world insists on "authenticiy", an awareness of oneself without which we become robotic, and it seems that Kierkegaard was an early trail blazer clearing a path through a thick verbal jungle.

[Riley Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

If only Kierkegaard's talent for writing had slightly rubbed off on the author.

Gardiner's book is the epitome of academic prose.

Nothing is stated straightforwardly. For instance, at one point he writes that, at the core of Kierkegaard's ideas, there may be a contradiction. Kierkegaard seems to be saying X on some occasions, but then saying not-X on others.

Gardiner writes: "Admittedly, his position on this point suffers on occasions from apparent ambiguity."

He could've written: "Kierkegaard's position is unclear."

Nearly every sentence is like this. Completely overstuffed. And Gardiner constantly uses double (and sometimes triple) negatives.

For instance (and this sentence doesn't appear in the book, but it serves the point), you run across sentences that read like this: "The not unnatural way of misunderstanding this idea..."

Kierkegaard's writing, at times, is very dense. It's packed with many concepts and ideas that he assumes you know. At times, it's unnecessarily difficult. But that doesn't excuse Gardiner. He is simply a bad writer. And his task was to simplify / introduce Kierkegaard.

Gardiner's explanations of Kierkegaard and Kant and Hegel are correct (to my knowledge, Gardiner was technically correct about everything), but he presents them / their ideas in this fog of babble and chatter. If you don't have a previous understanding of Kant, for instance, his section on Kant will be almost entirely unintelligible.

I only gave it 2 stars because sometimes Kierkegaard is quoted in bulk. And Kierkegaard is a real talent. If only I had just read him directly!

[Antônio Xerxenesky · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK. Gostei que o autor aponta contradições e os lugares onde não fica claro o que diabos Kierkegaard quis dizer. Ao mesmo, árido e sem sal. Parece que eu deveria ter começado pelo próprio Kierkegaard.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of a slog. The author obviously knows his subject and provided a more than adequate introduction to Kierkegaard - though in a fairly convoluted manner. And by that I mean sentence structure and the way he presupposes familiarity with the jargon associated with various philosophical systems. I definitely should have read a more basic primer on the philosophical movements of the 17th - 19th centuries as an intro to the Very Short Introduction.

[Sanjuro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kierkegaard is a hero of mine, and Gardiner provides here a well structured and informative introduction. He covers aspects of Kierkegaard's life and thought, ranging from his writing, anti hegelianism, authorial agenda, and he provides helpful clarity to the pseudonymous range of much of Kierkegaard's work. A solid introduction.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took much concentration to get through, since the writing style isn't very lucid. Unfortunately I think I walked away from this one with more points of disagreement, than agreement. Or perhaps I just didn't understand much?

[Fin Quinlan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not a fan at all.
All I was after was a short introduction to Kierkegaard that briefly noted his core concepts. However, there was nothing of substantial information and the prose was abysmal making the short book incredibly hard to track.

[Steph De Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kierkegaard’s “Fear and Trembling” has made such a deep impression on me since I read it a couple of years ago that I decided to buy a copy of “Either/Or” recently. In preparation for reading that work (which I've been warned is long and difficult), I decided I could do with a bit of a primer on Kierkegaard's thought.

As such, Gardiner's “Very Short Introduction” certainly does the job. In particular, he spends a considerable amount of time explaining aspects of Hegelianism and the works of Immanuel Kant, in terms of their influence on Kierkegaard. I suspect this will be helpful for the reading to come. Further, his discussion of “Either/Or” offers some useful grounding in terms of what to expect.

I didn't, however, enjoy reading this VSI as much as I thought I would. This is largely because I found it difficult to follow many lines of argument, especially in the section on Hegel. I'm not sufficiently well-versed in this subject-matter to judge whether this is a shortcoming of Gardiner's explanation or whether the ideas simply are that abstruse.

Regardless, I plan to tackle “Either/Or” over the next couple of months. Will I make “Hegel Girl Summer” a trend in 2025? Watch this space.

[Corey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This introduction was only moderately useful. It seems to serve as an introduction to Kierkegaard (hence the title of the book), but I kept feeling like I needed to read other books to understand the points being made. The biography at the beginning and the stuff on Fear and Trembling was useful though.

[Simon Stegall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good introduction to the most honest philosopher since Plato.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I really liked about this book was how it highlighted the connections between the thinking of Hegel, Kierkegaard and Heidegger. Each takes a somewhat different angle, but they all address the idea of human beings finding themselves reflected in the world; or, the world and human beings creating each other in a dialectical process. As I understand it, Hegel focused on the dialectical process itself as primary, with human beings and the world arising from it. Kierkegaard gave more primacy to the individual, playing themselves out against the world. Heidegger saw humans in general as primary, although inseparable from the world they both create and inhabit. But, for both Heidegger and Kierkegaard, there seems to be an irreducible chasm between the free individual and human beings in general, which manifests as anxiety and never really gets resolved.

I think Kierkegaard made a good point about what Christianity is (a leap of faith) and isn't (a system amenable to logical deduction). But it was strange to see it set out that way, because it's hard to imagine today that people really argued the opposite.

The trouble with this book was that I kept having to read pages twice. At its worst points, it combined convoluted writing with not really saying much, making it hard to tell if I'd lost the thread or not.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kierkegaard is a difficult philosopher for me to get my arms around, at least as presented here, since he most likely did not think of himself as one to begin with. Much of his writing is concerned with ethics and morals, as well as in particular Christianity and on what grounds to accept and live it. He wrote in reaction to those who would approach this realm through the use of reason and argued against it by instead recommending famously the “leap of faith” as the proper technique outside the reach of abstract concepts and principles, depersonalized ideas and doctrines of “truth”, or inferences drawn from the material world. For him, reason can only be applied to human concerns and not divine ones. The problem, of course, is that, while the leap of faith makes sense if one already accepts the divine realm, it does not provide a way in for those who don’t or can’t. It is also interesting how later existentialist thinkers appropriated some of his thought in the area of human anxiety (which Kierkegaard thought of in the context of religion only) and morality as resting within the individual as opposed to an objective standard or social construct applicable to all.

[r0b · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very succinct and helpful explanation of Kierkegaard's writings and philosophy!

[Fred Kohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Very Short Introductions series has been on my radar since I read Peter Singer's fine book in that series on Hegel. Because of that, I went through all the books in that series owned by my local library (Columbus Metropolitan in Columbus Ohio) and reserved four of them. I was delighted to find that one was available on Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard has been on my radar ever since reading Fear and Trembling. I don’t know that this book had me jumping up and down to the extent that Singer's book did, but nevertheless it is a fine book.

The writer's style seemed a bit dense to me. He seemed fond of long paragraphs and sentences, especially in chapters 2-4. I did end up rereading these chapters after finishing the book, an exercise that proved helpful. The entire book has given me motivation to read more Kierkegaard, especially Either/Or. Apparently I’m not the only one interested in this book, as there is a waiting list for it at the library. Well, I certainly can’t complain, because I have plenty of other reading to do!

[Elizabeth K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I have to give the fine folks at the Oxford University Press mad props for truth in advertising. This book is indeed about Kierkegaard, an introduction, and very short. I picked this up because I felt rather ignorant after reading Sophie's World. I would say it provided a very decent overview for someone who was looking to get the most basic grasp on the general thrust of Kierkegaard's work. It also has a very snappy mod cover, I felt like I should wear a black turtleneck to read it.

It's an A in my book, but can you really grade A Very Short Introduction? It just, well, is. Recommended: to people looking for A Very Short Introduction to Kierkegaard.

[Doug Newdick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very Short Introductions are a mixed bag in my experience. Quite a few of them should be titled "Too Short Introductions" while others are brilliant examples of concise writing. Unfortunately this introduction to Kierkegaard feels like one of the former. While I understand that Kierkegaard was concerned about religion he has had quite an influence on philosophy (notably the existentialists). Yet this aspect of his work is skated over. One thing that the books in this series try and do is to give you a reason to explore their subject matter further - which this one does - but it shouldn't do this by leaving you guessing.

[Leon X. G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd like to say that it has been a very responsible introduction. The location of Kiermegaard within the whole philosophy tradition is clearly shown. The 3rd and 7th chap are both great.

We must keep in mind the following idea from Kierkegaard: being part of a church is not enough; repeating religious rituals is not enough as well; even reciting Christ's words is inadequate. One must act as the Christ's teaching. What is critical here is to commit to the Christian lifestyle, even its righteousness cannot be proven. Such a radical question is always there to be answered, demanding an ultimate choice.

[M. Ashraf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good introduction to one of the prominent philosophers of the 19th century.
I have read mentions of Kierkegaard over several books but most dealt with abstractions, not that easy to understand; Gardiner tries to show his life and works in this VSI.
His train of thought is very interesting especially regarding Christianity/religious views, the comparison between Kant, Hegel, Marx and others with his views and impact on them; was a great addition to the book.
A dense read! very informative.
3.5/5

[Stefan Grieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short overview of not just Kierkegaard's books and his life, but the world and philosophers connected to him and his theological philosophy.

It is short enough, although it deals with certain complex prose, but does so in a non-patronising and well-categorised manner.

I learnt things that I hadn't before on the research I did on the internet, and I felt that the points stuck and continued to ignite my interest in Kierkegaard, his works and his life. All of which makes me conclude that for me at least, it was a success.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deregistered the Kindle like a genius and lost all my notes. Particularly tragic because only Kierkegaard's direct quotations made any real sense to me in this pretty weak VSI. While I am not unsympathetic to writers who fail to refrain from minimizing the overuse of double negatives, the phrasing in this book was just relentlessly convoluted in that annoying way that adds not qualified nuance but cautious hedging.

[Kieran Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to Kierkegaard, but it is an introduction for people with a philosophical background not just any laymen in my opinion. The book itself was a good introduction to Kierkegaard however with the way it's written there is a lot of additional background you need to do reading on to understand the points the author makes. Needing to read Heidegger, Hegel, Kant and others in order to grasp various points made.

[Efth2007 · Rating 3 out of 5]

In terms of content, a great deal of Kierkegaard's writings and ideas are covered, as well as glimpses of influential predecessors to whom the philosopher built on or reacted to (especially Hegel). However, as others have pointed out, the writing style is unnecessarily complex and can discourage the absolute beginner, which absolutely defeats the purpose of a "Very Short Introduction". Is this an attempt from Gardiner's behalf to prepare us for Kierkegaard's writing? Not sure about that yet.

[Joeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book serves as an useful overview and discussion of Kierkegaard's most important works and his influence within the domain of existentialism.

Kierkegaard's philosophy is discussed in a way reflective of the philosophical and historical context in which he lived, and to what philosophical traditions his works were a (critical) response to.