The Philosophy of Kierkegaard

Known as a poet-philosopher, Kierkegaard's life is filled with conflicting elements. Aesthetic life, he argues, consists of the pursuit of intellectual pleasure or sensuous desire, or both. Kierkegaard's existential critique comes from the Greek tradition of judging philosophers by their lives. Christian philosophy, on the other hand, emphasizes the totality of human existence.

Kierkegaard views human beings as unique, which is a key element in the concept of freedom. He argues that this is the only way to attain equality and transcend sin. According to Kierkegaard, human beings can achieve this state through God-consciousness, which is the process of seeing oneself as a sinner open to divine grace. The path to this freedom is paved with faith, imagination, and love, but the goal is to become free of will through the humble process of kenosis.

Moreover, the author's method of communication is unconventional. Kierkegaard wrote under pseudonyms and as fictional characters. These fictional characters speak from the standpoint of Kierkegaard. The author explains the process by which he comes to the conclusion that life is a series of events. This technique, known as deconstruction, forces individuals to question the nature of reality and their place within it. By deconstructing the concepts of time and place, Kierkegaard challenges us to re-experience our most rewarding moments.

Although the works of Kierkegaard are incredibly complex, they do contain many revealing elements. Kierkegaard's works often play with narrative point of view, contrasting internal partitions, and semantic opacity. His works are often layered with irony, paradox, and other complexities, which ultimately make them polished surfaces for readers. Kierkegaard's philosophy combines universal concepts with an unknowable object to make his thoughts and ideas more accessible.

In his pseudonymous works, Kierkegaard explores the three spheres of existence. Specifically, he analyzes aesthetic, ethical, and religious styles as stages along the life journey. Kierkegaard's first literary period also identifies three stages in human existence: aesthetic, ethical, and religious. These spheres of existence are characterized by egotism, immersion in sensuous experience, and flight from boredom.

Upon his father's death, Kierkegaard was increasingly concerned about the state of the Danish People's Church. He realized he could not continue writing eruditely if he wanted to address the issues of the church. Instead, he turned to a more popular medium. As a result, he published a pamphlet called The Instant, which addresses church politics in an unorthodox way.

Soren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher and theologian who influenced existentialism in the twentieth century. His works often delved into issues such as Christianity, the meaning of life, and moral values. Kierkegaard's work, both religious and secular, cross disciplinary boundaries, and make original conceptual contributions to each of these areas. But he is best known for his work in the realm of philosophy, which was dominated by the ideas of the Christian Church in the mid-19th century.

According to Kierkegaard, the first level of despair is the ignorance of despair itself. The person in this state of utter despair seeks help and assistance but becomes hardened against help. Kierkegaard says that this level of despair is most common among poets. He believes that the true poets are among those who have this level of despair. The depressive state is often associated with "demonic despair," a state where the person rejects help and becomes unable to cope with the situation.

The second level of existentialism is the 'ethical' stage. This is where individuals take responsibility for the good they do in the world. At this level, the individual becomes personally responsible for their actions and develops a strong commitment to his or her self. Such actions are consistent and coherent and require a person to account for their actions, which Kierkegaard calls repentance. And so, if we choose to live in the ethical and religious spheres, our actions will follow suit.