Online research in philosophy

Political and Social Aspects of Kierkegaard's Thought It is rather common knowledge that S0ren Kierkegaard is called the father of existential philosophy ...

I argue that Fichte (rather than Kant or Hegel or some amalgam of the two) was the primary historical model for the ethical standpoint described in Kierkegaard's Either/Or II. I then explain how looking at Kierkegaard's texts with Fichte in mind helps in interpreting the criticism of the ethical standpoint in works like The Sickness unto Death and Concluding Unscientific Postscript, as well as the significance of the discussion of secular ethics in Fear and Trembling. I conclude with a brief look at the relevance for contemporary Kantian ethics of Kierkegaard's characterization and his criticism.

Kierkegaard, described by Wittgenstein as "by far the most profound thinker of the [nineteenth] century," has influenced a wide range of philosophers and theologians. Fear and Trembling , which investigates the nature of faith and its relation to ethics via a discussion of the story of Abraham and Isaac, is one of Kierkegaard's most compelling and popular works. Kierkegaard and Fear and Trembling introduces and assesses: * Kierkegaard's life and the background to Fear and Trembling * The ideas and text of Fear and Trembling , possibly his most famous work * Kierkegaard's continuing importance in philosophy.

A fundamental ingredient in Kierkegaard's conception of the self is the idea that ?the self is a relation which relates itself to its own self?. Kierkegaard makes much of this, and understanding the idea furnishes the reader with a key to the interpretation of central themes in his writings. It can also inform and enrich more modern versions of the same idea. For my own part I have found in Kierkegaard's conception a source of insights concerning a notion of the self that is articulated in action?theoretical terms. In this paper I shall first delineate this notion, without references to Kierkegaard; and then, when the notion has been introduced, in outline, I shall bring in some of Kierkegaard's ideas in The Sickness unto Death (SuD). I hope thereby to illustrate one way in which I think Kierkegaard can be seen as a contributor to a field in development, namely the study of the self.

A fundamental ingredient in Kierkegaard's conception of the self is the idea that 'the self is a relation which relates itself to its own self'. Kierkegaard makes much of this, and understanding the idea furnishes the reader with a key to the interpretation of central themes in his writings. It can also inform and enrich more modern versions of the same idea. For my own part I have found in Kierkegaard's conception a source of insights concerning a notion of the self that is articulated in action-theoretical terms. In this paper I shall first delineate this notion, without references to Kierkegaard; and then, when the notion has been introduced, in outline, I shall bring in some of Kierkegaard's ideas in The Sickness unto Death (SuD) . I hope thereby to illustrate one way in which I think Kierkegaard can be seen as a contributor to a field in development, namely the study of the self.

Following the pattern set by the early German Romantics, Kierkegaard conveys many of his insights through literature rather than academic prose. What makes him a valuable member of this tradition is the theory he develops to support it, his so-called “theory of indirect communication.” The most exciting aspect of this theory concerns the alleged importance of indirect communication: Kierkegaard claims that there are some projects only it can accomplish. This paper provides a critical account of two arguments Kierkegaard offers in defense of this claim. The first argument is that he needs to use indirect communication in order to discourage people from losing themselves in the “crowd”. The second argument is that he needs to use it in order to help people out of a “monstrous illusion”. It is shown that while both arguments justify Kierkegaard’s decision to use indirect communication, neither one supports the original claim about its indispensability.

This paper illuminates the central arguments in Sartre's UNESCO address, 'The Singular Universal." The address begins by asking whether objective facts tell us everything there is to know about Kierkegaard. Sartre's answer is negative. The question then arises as to whether we can lay hold of Kierkegaard's "irreducible subjectivity" by seeing him as alive for us today, i.e., as transhistorical. Sartre's answer here is affirmative. However, a close inspection of this answer exposes a deeper level to the address. The struggle to find a place for Kierkegaard within the world of objective knowledge is an allegory. It mirrors Sartre's struggle to find a place for his existentialism within the Marxism that dominates his later thinking.

Jon Stewart's groundbreaking study is a major re-evaluation of the complex relations between the philosophies of Kierkegaard and Hegel. The standard view on the subject is that Kierkegaard defined himself as explicitly anti-Hegelian, indeed that he viewed Hegel's philosophy with disdain. Jon Stewart shows convincingly that Kierkegaard's criticism was not of Hegel but of a number of contemporary Danish Hegelians. Kierkegaard's own view of Hegel was in fact much more positive to the point where he was directly influenced by some of Hegel's work. Any scholar working in the tradition of Continental philosophy will find this an insightful and provocative book with implications for the subsequent history of philosophy in the twentieth century. The book will also appeal to scholars in religious studies and the history of ideas.

Kierkegaard and Philosophy makes many of the most important papers on Kierkegaard available in one place for the first time. These seventeen essays, written over a period of over twenty years, have all been substantially revised or specially prepared for this collection, with a new introduction by the author. In the first part, Alastair Hannay concentrates on Kierkegaard's central philosophical writings, offering closely text-based accounts of the slient concepts Kierkegaard uses. The second part shows the relevance of other thinkers' treatments of shared themes, pointing our where they differ from Kierkegaard. The concluding chapter provides a reason Kierkegaard himself would give for disagreeing with those who claim his texts are infinitely interpretable. Written by the world's foremost Kierkegaard scholar and translator, Kierkegaard and Philosophy is an indispensible resource for all students of Kierkegaard's work.

On the standard view, paraphrasing Kierkegaard requires no special literary talent. It demands no flair for the poetic, unless clarity and straightforwardness should count. However, Kierkegaard himself does not ascribe to this view. At least not exactly. He claims that we cannot paraphrase some of his ideas in a straightforward fashion. To use the words of Johannes Climacus, these ideas defy ‘direct communication’. In this paper, I piece together and defend the justification Kierkegaard offers for this position. I also provide an account of its implications for contemporary scholarship.