Søren Kierkegaard
Danish philosopher, theologian, and first existentialist
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a Danish writer and thinker who worked across philosophy, theology, poetry, and social criticism, and is often called the first existentialist philosopher. He produced sharp critiques of organized religion, Christianity, morality, ethics, psychology, love, and the philosophy of religion, frequently using metaphor, irony, and parables. A central concern in his work is how a person lives as a "single individual," stressing authenticity, personal choice and commitment, and the obligation to love. He placed more weight on concrete human experience than on abstract thought.
In theology, Kierkegaard focused on Socratic Christian ethics, the Church as an institution, the limits of objective proofs for Christianity, the infinite qualitative gap between God and humanity, and the individual’s subjective relationship—through faith—to Jesus Christ as the God-Man. Much of his writing addresses Christian love. He was sharply critical of state-controlled religion, such as the Church of Denmark, which he saw as a form of Caesaropapism. His psychological work examined the emotions and feelings people face when making life choices. Unlike atheistic existentialists like Jean-Paul Sartre, Kierkegaard’s existentialism was Christian.
Early in his career, he wrote under pseudonyms, each presenting distinct viewpoints and engaging in complex dialogues. He also published Upbuilding Discourses under his own name, dedicating them to the "single individual" seeking meaning in his works. He argued that science and scholarship aim for objectivity, but Christianity teaches that the path is to become subjective, to become a subject. He firmly rejected the idea that observation alone could reveal the inner workings of the spirit.
Key concepts in his thought include subjective and objective truths, the knight of faith, recollection versus repetition, angst, the infinite qualitative distinction, faith as a passion, and the three stages on life’s way. He wrote in Danish, and his work initially gained attention only in Scandinavia. By the early 20th century, translations into French, German, and other European languages appeared, and by mid-century his ideas had a major impact on philosophy, theology, and Western culture.
Kierkegaard was born into a wealthy family in Copenhagen, the youngest of seven children. His mother, Ane Sørensdatter Lund Kierkegaard, had been a maid in the household before marrying his father, Michael Pedersen Kierkegaard. She was quiet and uneducated, but her granddaughter described her as ruling with delight and protecting her children like a hen. Her son Peter later said Søren preserved many of her words in his writings. Michael, a devoutly Christian wool merchant from Jutland, appeared stern and dry but had a lively imagination. He was drawn to the rationalist philosophy of Christian Wolff and often hosted intellectuals at home. Kierkegaard, raised in his father’s beliefs, was deeply influenced by this Wolffian rationalism. He also admired the comedies of Ludvig Holberg and the writings of Johann Georg Hamann, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Edward Young, and Plato. Socrates, encountered in Plato’s dialogues, became a major influence on Kierkegaard’s interest in irony and indirect communication.
Kierkegaard enjoyed walking the crooked, carriage-free streets of 19th-century Copenhagen. In 1848, he wrote that he found Christian satisfaction in being someone any poor person could freely approach and talk with on the street, and that he greeted every maidservant, manservant, and common laborer he knew. At one end of the city stood Our Lady’s Church, where Bishop Mynster preached; at the other, the Royal Theatre, where Fru Heiberg performed.
Based on a speculative reading of his unpublished journals—especially a draft story called "The Great Earthquake"—some early scholars suggested that Michael Kierkegaard believed he had incurred God’s wrath and that none of his children would outlive him, possibly due to sins like cursing God’s name in youth or fathering Ane’s child out of wedlock. Although five of his seven children died before him, both Søren and his older brother Peter survived. Peter later became a bishop in Aalborg.
- born
- 5 May 1813
- died
- 11 November 1855
- field
- Philosophy, theology, psychology, social criticism
- nationality
- Danish
- known_for
- First existentialist philosopher; concepts of subjective and objective truths, knight of faith, angst, three stages on life's way
Lore & Background
Kierkegaard was born to an affluent family in Copenhagen as the youngest of seven children. His mother, Ane Sørensdatter Lund Kierkegaard (1768–1834), had served as a maid in the household before marrying his father, Michael Pedersen Kierkegaard (1756–1838). She was an unassuming figure: quiet, and not formally educated. His father was a devoutly Christian well-to-do wool merchant from Jutland. He was a 'very stern man, to all appearances dry and prosaic, but under his 'rustic cloak' demeanor he concealed an active imagination which not even his great age could blunt'. He was also interested in philosophy and often hosted intellectuals at his home. He was devoted to the rationalist philosophy of Christian Wolff, and he eventually retired partly to pursue more of Wolff's writings. Kierkegaard, who followed his father's beliefs as a child, was heavily influenced by Michael's devotion to Wolffian rationalism. He also enjoyed the comedies of Ludvig Holberg, the writings of Johann Georg Hamann, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Edward Young, and Plato. The figure of Socrates, whom Kierkegaard encountered in Plato's dialogues, would prove to be a phenomenal influence on the philosopher's later interest in irony, as well as his frequent deployment of indirect communication. Kierkegaard loved to walk along the crooked streets of 19th century Copenhagen, where carriages rarely went. From 1821 to 1830, Kierkegaard attended the School of Civic Virtue, Østre Borgerdyd Gymnasium when the school was situated in Klarebodeme, where Kierkegaard studied Latin, Greek, and history, among other subjects. During his time there he was described as 'very conservative'; someone who would 'honour the King, love the church and respect the police'. He frequently got into altercations with fellow students and was ambivalent towards his teachers. He went on to study theology at the University of Copenhagen. He had little interest in historical works, philosophy dissatisfied him, and he couldn't see 'dedicating himself to Speculation'. He said, 'What I really need to do is to get clear about "what am I to do", not what I must know.' He wanted to 'lead a completely human life and not merely one of knowledge'. Kierkegaard didn't want to be a philosopher in the traditional or Hegelian sense and he didn't want to preach a Christianity that was an illusion. 'But he had learned from his father that one
Reader's Guide
Kierkegaard's theological work focuses on Socratic Christian ethics, the institution of the Church, the differences among purely objective proofs of Christianity, the infinite qualitative distinction between man and God, and the individual's subjective relationship to the God-Man Jesus Christ, which came through faith. Much of his work deals with Christian love. He was extremely critical of the doctrine and practice of Christianity as a state-controlled religion (Caesaropapism), like the Church of Denmark. His psychological work explored the emotions and feelings of individuals when faced with life choices. Unlike Jean-Paul Sartre and the atheistic existentialism paradigm, Kierkegaard focused on Christian existentialism. Kierkegaard's early work was written using pseudonyms, who presented distinctive viewpoints and interacted in complex dialogue. He wrote Upbuilding Discourses under his own name and dedicated them to the 'single individual' who might want to discover the meaning of his works. He wrote: 'Science and scholarship want to teach that becoming objective is the way. Christianity teaches that the way is to become subjective, to become a subject.' Kierkegaard emphatically denied that observation alone could reveal the inner workings of the world of the spirit. Some of Kierkegaard's key ideas include the concept of 'subjective and objective truths', the knight of faith, the recollection and repetition dichotomy, angst, the infinite qualitative distinction, faith as a passion, and the three stages on life's way. Kierkegaard wrote in Danish and the reception of his work was initially limited to Scandinavia, but by the turn of the 20th century his writings were translated into French, German, and other major European languages. By the middle of the 20th century, his thought exerted a substantial influence on philosophy, theology, and Western culture in general.
Did You Know?
- Kierkegaard wrote over 7,000 pages in his journals on events, musings, thoughts about his works and everyday remarks.
- His father, Michael Pedersen Kierkegaard, was a devoutly Christian well-to-do wool merchant from Jutland who was devoted to the rationalist philosophy of Christian Wolff.
- Kierkegaard's mother, Ane Sørensdatter Lund Kierkegaard, was never mentioned in his works.
- In 1848, Kierkegaard wrote that he had 'real Christian satisfaction' that every poor person could freely accost and converse with him on the street.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Journal entry, Gilleleie (1 August 1835) Journals 1A; this is considered to be one of the earliest statements of existentialist thought." — Søren Kierkegaard "Variant translation: I must find a truth that is true for me." — Søren Kierkegaard "There are many people who reach their conclusions about life like schoolboys; they cheat their master by copying the answer out of a book without having worked out the sum for themselves." — Søren Kierkegaard "God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but He does what is still more wonderful: He makes saints out of sinners." — Søren Kierkegaard
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