The Philosophy of
Soren Kierkegaard
Background

The way to truth is
not through the great
systems, such as
Hegel’s, but through
the embrace of
ambiguity and
paradox, self-study
and self-inquiry.
Soren Kierkegaard
(1813-1855)

Soren often lamented
that he had never
had a childhood of
carefree spontaneity,
but he had been
“born old.”
Kierkegaard’s Philosophy

Kierkegaard was
concerned that a
socialization of
Christianity had made
it safe and tame. It
was no longer a risk,
and above all, he
wanted Christianity to
be a huge risk.
Kierkegaard’s Philosophy

And interestingly
enough, the first truth
to be faced is very
often that we simply
do not know. For
Kierkegaard, faith is
that force, or energy,
which allows one to
bear to stand in front
of that unknowing.
Kierkegaard’s Philosophy

Questioning opens us
to the experience of
truth, while imagining
we already know the
truth prevents us
from having the
experience.
Kierkegaard’s Philosophy

Kierkegaard was
quick to point out that
we are all guilty of
idolatry every time we
place the values of
the crowd above our
own conscience.
Summary

Kierkegaard was
antagonistic, not
toward the use of
reason, but to its
abuse and
presumptuousness.
Summary

Burning questions,
when listened to
attentively, bring us to
that silence where,
perhaps, we can
hope to hear as if for
the first time.