Kierkegaard and Nietzsche provided the basic foundations of 19th century Existentialism. It is a philosophy that emphasises the existence of the individual as a free and responsible agent determining their own development.
They both ended up savagely criticising Christianity, recognising that God no longer exists in the minds of most people. People live falsely religious lives and follow a herd mentality. In much Kierkegaard and Nietzsche are alike, in the moral decline of society and the corruption of religion, in their existential orientation and in their psychological interests, however they were absolutely opposed on what it means to live a human life to the fullest. This is largely precipitated by Nietzsche’s complete disillusionment with religion in contrast to Kierkegaard’s continued faith in the existence of God. Almost one hundred years before it became a historic fact,
Kierkegaard had prophesised nothing less than the total bankruptcy toward which the whole of Europe seems to be heading. Nietzsche, similarly, predicted the death of God, with nihilism looming dangerously. Nietzsche urges us to create new values through a Revaluation of All Values, giving way to the figure of the ubermensch, thus man becomes god.
Kierkegaard tells us that man cannot in any way become God, and a central feature of despair is the inability of a person to manufacture his own identity, something essential is missing, something that would prevent you from simply demolishing the ideal and beginning all over again with a new ideal, such a person lacks something “eternally firm”, God.
Kierkegaard saw the problem of religious downfall as an opportunity for renewal in Christian beliefs, a chance to embrace Christianity’s original teachings and return to a dynamic and living faith, emphasising the subjective truth of the individual.
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⌛ Timestamps
(0:00) Introduction
(7:10) Roots of Divergence
(9:37) Kierkegaard
(11:27) Nietzsche
(13:31) Our Present Course
