Soren Kierkegaard

[ReVoLuTiOnArY-BrOtHeR]

I am reading Soren Kerkegaard's work "Fear and Trembling" and I would like to see what you guys think of him. I've noticed by reading the first pages that the english he uses is quite difficult.

[Tribune]

You might want to check for a better translation. Kierkegaard wrote in Danish. What you might be facing is something like reading Camus as an American in 2010, from a translation in British English made in 1960, using outdated foreign idiom.

[ReVoLuTiOnArY-BrOtHeR]

You might want to check for a better translation. Kierkegaard wrote in Danish. What you might be facing is something like reading Camus as an American in 2010, from a translation in British English made in 1960, using outdated foreign idiom.

Ok thanks brother. I got the Penguins Classics version.

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

Kierkegaard isn't that good of a writer in my opinion. He also uses biblical references that I don't know much about. They are common throughout Fear and Trembling, which also contains metaphors that allude to biblical ideas. I found that when I knew the context, from a class, reading it seems slightly less horrible. That being said, it's still pretty rough. It's easily understandable with an online guide, which I think is on Sparknotes' website. That ideas, that is, not necessarily the text.

On another level, the ideas aren't that understandable because he writes about incomprehensibility and other strange things. I don't want to spoil it for you unless you don't care. I don't like what I've encountered from Kierkegaard, but I have taken bits and pieces of him and tried to get some sensible benefits from them.

[Decolonize The Left]

Changed title to reflect proper spelling. That is all.

- August

[A.R.Amistad]

Kierkegaard is my favorite existentialist writer. I dislike his religious fundamentalism and conservatism, but I love his theories on alienation and despair, and he really did lay the groundwork for modern existentialism. There's a really interesting article on the similarities between Marx and Kierkegaard:
http://davnet.org/kevin/articles/marx_kierkegaard.html

[Buffalo Souljah]

^^There are not a few smiliarities between the two individuals: they both rejected the prevailing idealism that was rampant in their contemporary Europe; they both studied and rejected Hegelianism and they both wrote about and studied the devastating effects of industrial society on the individual (Marx albeit more "materially" and K in more "spiritual" a light, but nonetheless, a connection exists between the two, even if they neither corresponded personally or were even aware of each others' existence for that matter).

To the OP:

I love F&T! It's such a lovely book. Unfortunately, I haven't seen my copy in some years now, else I'd probably be reading it right now!

I would highly recommend Kierkegaard rather for his "religious" writings than his philosophical exploits, though that seems to be a popular line to take. As far as regards his "philosophical" texts, I would recommend starting with the Philosophical Fragments, which are some of his most broad, general outlines of his assertion of religious faith, but also in the book is a lengthy discussion of erotic love, the irrationality of the human condition, the plausibility of the idea of "necessity" and the argument of religious authority (which ultimately ends with K dismissing any pastoral or ecclesiastical authority deriving from the records of the Apostles, arguing instead for a direct confrontation and communion with Christ [the Paradox] him/itself). A very interesting work, philosophically, and also very humorous, at times.

A few other good books I'd recommend of his are The Sickness unto Death, Johannes Climacus and a personal favorite of mine Stages on Life's Way.

Another source for useful essays, lectures and other tidbits on SK is Anthony Storm's site, http://www.sorenkierkegaard.org which I remember as being very helpful in introducing me as an undergraduate to some of his more obscure writings and also understanding some of his larger themes and ideas, especially in relation to the context in which they were written (wars, revolutions, personal crises, etc.).

Good luck!

[LimitedIdeology]

Kierkegaard was one of the most groundbreaking thinkers of that century. His influence, especially in European Philosophy and contemporary theology, is immense.

Furthermore, one thing about Kierkegaard is that he wrote, intentionally, in a paradoxical, contradictory style; it reflected his beliefs about the constitution of the self, so keep in mind that he does make things confusing as a way to present ideas in different lights.

[Wolf Larson]

I am reading Soren Kerkegaard's work "Fear and Trembling" and I would like to see what you guys think of him. I've noticed by reading the first pages that the english he uses is quite difficult.

Why did Nero kill so many Christians? Because they suck.

[blackwave]

I've read 'Fear and Trembling' twice, and on neither occasion did I really get what he was trying to say. There were the odd paragraph where I thought, 'oh, is that what he means, why didn't he just say that'. Still, 'The Sickness Unto Death' looks better, and I intend to read it.