Abstract

At first glance, a systematic examination of Either/Or apparently yields a clear analysis of its structure. The project is straightforward. There are two words in the title. There are two volumes, each with its principal speaker. In the course of the work a speaker for the ethical perspective follows an aesthetic speaker and comments critically on him and his ideas. As a judge, he clearly has the requisite temporal authority and moral ascendancy to do so. Moreover the judge appeals to eternal authority, embodied in a sermon, as additional support for his position.