6.2 Kierkegaard and Existentialism

Kierkegaard's existentialism focuses on individual existence, freedom, and choice. He emphasizes anxiety, despair, and faith as key aspects of the human experience, challenging traditional philosophical approaches with his emphasis on subjectivity and personal engagement.

Kierkegaard's ideas laid the groundwork for later existentialist thinkers. His concepts of anxiety, authenticity, and the importance of individual choice continue to resonate in modern discussions of ethics, identity, and the human condition.

Kierkegaard's Existential Concepts

Anxiety, Despair, and Faith

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• Anxiety (angst) represents dizzying awareness of freedom and possibility leading to dread and excitement
• Despair arises from misrelation between finite and infinite aspects of human existence
• Leap of faith involves passionate commitment to belief despite objective uncertainty (religious matters)
• "The single individual" emphasizes personal responsibility and authenticity in choices and beliefs
• Three stages of existence represent different modes of living (aesthetic, ethical, religious)
  • Aesthetic stage focuses on immediate pleasure and sensory experiences
  • Ethical stage involves commitment to moral principles and social norms
  • Religious stage requires a leap of faith and personal relationship with the divine
• Truth as subjectivity challenges traditional philosophical approaches emphasizing personal engagement over abstract reasoning
  • Example: Personal interpretation of religious texts over dogmatic teachings
  • Example: Valuing lived experiences in ethical decision-making rather than universal moral rules

Kierkegaard's Philosophical Approach

• Critique of Hegelian systematic philosophy highlights limitations of objective, rationalistic approaches
• Becoming a self involves process of self-discovery and authentic choice-making
  • Example: Choosing a career based on personal passion rather than societal expectations
  • Example: Embracing one's unique talents and quirks instead of conforming to social norms
• Emphasis on passionate commitment and inwardness as key aspects of genuine faith and existence
• Paradox and absurdity play crucial roles in religious faith and individual experience
  • Example: The Christian concept of the incarnation (God becoming human)
  • Example: The existential paradox of finding meaning in a seemingly meaningless universe

Subjectivity and Individuality in Kierkegaard

Primacy of Personal Experience

• Subjectivity refers to primacy of personal experience and interpretation in understanding truth and meaning
• "The single individual" emphasizes uniqueness of each person's existence and importance of self-reflection
• Passionate commitment and inwardness serve as key aspects of genuine faith and existence
  • Example: Developing a personal relationship with God through prayer and contemplation
  • Example: Pursuing a creative passion despite lack of external validation or recognition
• Concept of "becoming a self" involves ongoing process of self-discovery and authentic choice-making
  • Example: Continuously reassessing and refining one's values and beliefs throughout life
  • Example: Making difficult decisions based on personal convictions rather than societal pressures

Critique of Objective Approaches

• Kierkegaard criticizes Hegelian systematic philosophy highlighting limitations of objective, rationalistic approaches
• Emphasis on paradox and absurdity in relation to religious faith and individual experience
  • Example: The "teleological suspension of the ethical" in Kierkegaard's interpretation of Abraham's sacrifice
  • Example: The existential dilemma of finding purpose in a universe without inherent meaning
• Challenges traditional philosophical approaches by prioritizing personal engagement over abstract reasoning
  • Example: Valuing the lived experience of love over philosophical treatises on the concept
  • Example: Emphasizing the importance of personal faith over theological arguments for God's existence

Kierkegaard's Influence on Existentialism

Impact on Key Existentialist Thinkers

• Jean-Paul Sartre's concept of radical freedom and authenticity influenced by Kierkegaard's emphasis on individual existence
  • Example: Sartre's famous statement "existence precedes essence" echoes Kierkegaard's focus on becoming
• Albert Camus' exploration of the absurd in human existence traces back to Kierkegaard's reflections on paradox and faith
  • Example: Camus' "The Myth of Sisyphus" draws on Kierkegaard's ideas about the absurdity of human existence
• Martin Heidegger's analysis of anxiety (Angst) and being-towards-death shows clear connections to Kierkegaard's treatment
  • Example: Heidegger's concept of "thrownness" relates to Kierkegaard's ideas about the human condition
• Simone de Beauvoir's focus on ethical responsibility and situated freedom draws on Kierkegaard's ideas about individual choice
  • Example: Beauvoir's exploration of women's existence in "The Second Sex" builds on Kierkegaard's emphasis on subjectivity

Philosophical Approaches and Concepts

• "Existence precedes essence" in later existentialism extends Kierkegaard's emphasis on becoming rather than fixed human nature
• Critique of systematic philosophy and emphasis on lived experience influenced phenomenological approach of later existentialists
  • Example: Maurice Merleau-Ponty's focus on embodied experience in phenomenology
  • Example: Emmanuel Levinas' emphasis on the face-to-face encounter in ethics

Existential Themes and the Human Condition

Contemporary Relevance of Existentialist Ideas

• Individual responsibility and choice remain relevant in addressing contemporary ethical dilemmas and decision-making
  • Example: Navigating complex moral issues in bioethics (genetic engineering, end-of-life care)
  • Example: Making career choices in a rapidly changing job market
• Anxiety and alienation resonate with modern experiences of social disconnection and technological advancement
  • Example: Feelings of isolation and anxiety in social media-dominated communication
  • Example: Existential dread in the face of climate change and global crises
• Authenticity offers framework for addressing issues of identity and self-realization in diverse cultural contexts
  • Example: Navigating cultural expectations while maintaining personal integrity
  • Example: Developing authentic self-expression in the age of personal branding and online personas

Existentialism and Modern Society

• Critiques of mass society and conformity remain pertinent in analyzing contemporary consumer culture and social media dynamics
  • Example: The pressure to conform to beauty standards promoted by influencer culture
  • Example: The challenge of maintaining individuality in the face of algorithmic recommendations
• Meaning-making in the face of apparent meaninglessness provides perspective for addressing nihilism and despair in modern life
  • Example: Finding personal purpose in a secularized, post-religious society
  • Example: Creating meaning through art, relationships, or personal projects in a seemingly indifferent universe
• Freedom and accompanying anxiety offer insights into understanding and coping with uncertainty in rapidly changing societies
  • Example: Navigating career choices in the gig economy and rapidly evolving job market
  • Example: Making life decisions in the context of global political and environmental instability
• Notion of "bad faith" provides tool for examining self-deception and inauthenticity in personal and social relationships
  • Example: Recognizing and addressing patterns of self-deception in romantic relationships
  • Example: Identifying instances of inauthenticity in political discourse and social movements