Greatest Philosophers in History | Søren Kierkegaard
Aug 20, 2020
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Explore the philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard, the father of Existentialism, as he delves into the concepts of individualism, anxiety, and the leap of faith. Discover his belief in subjective existence and the importance of finding your own truth. Learn about Kierkegaard's stages of life and the significance of living authentically by making choices that align with your own desires.
Søren Kierkegaard emphasized the importance of individual subjective experience and the concept of anxiety in his philosophy.
Kierkegaard's philosophy highlighted the three stages of life: aesthetic, ethical, and religious, with the religious stage requiring a leap of faith and a personal relationship with God.
Deep dives
The Philosophy of Seren Gegagord
Seren Gegagord was a 19th-century philosopher regarded as the father of existentialism. He emphasized the existence of the individual and the subjective experience. Gegagord's main contribution was the idea of subjectivity, which had been overlooked by previous philosophers. He argued that individuals should ask the question of existence and make their lives their own subjective answers to it. His philosophy laid the foundation for existentialist thought, which gained popularity through philosophers like Jean-Boule-Sartre.
The Three Stages of Life: Aesthetic, Ethical, Religious
Gegagord's writings explored the three stages of life: aesthetic, ethical, and religious. The aesthetic stage is characterized by seeking pleasure and maximizing experiences. The ethical stage involves following societal rules and considering others. The religious stage, which Gegagord saw as the highest plane of existence, required a personal relationship with God and a leap of faith. Gegagord emphasized the importance of becoming an individual through action and decision-making.
Anxiety, Angst, and the Absurd
Gegagord delved into concepts such as anxiety, angst, and the absurd. He described anxiety as the dizziness of freedom and the fear that comes with the infinite possibilities of choice. Angst, a deeper state of dread without a specific object, arises when individuals are overwhelmed by the sheer number of possibilities. Gegagord advocated for embracing the absurdity of existence and taking a leap of faith, choosing one's own path rather than conforming to societal expectations. He believed that true meaning and fulfillment could be found by rejecting pre-existing templates and systems and finding subjective truths through inward reflection.
Søren Kierkegaard was a profound and prolific 19th century writer and philosopher in the Danish Golden Age of intellectual and artistic activity. He wrote about how we choose to live and what it means to be alive, centred in the individual or “existing being”. He is regarded as the father of Existentialism. The stress of subjectivity is one of Kierkegaard’s main contributions. His concept of anxiety or angst is one of the most profound pre-Freudian works of psychology.
His most popular work includes the leap of faith, the concept of angst, the three stages on life (aesthetic, ethical, religious), among others. In the Greatest Philosophers In History series we do an in-depth exploration of the most fundamental ideas and views on life of the greatest philosophers in human history.
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⌛ Timestamps
(0:00) Introduction
(5:25) Kierkegaard’s “Philosophy”
(9:21) Either/Or. The Two Stages: Aesthetic vs Ethical
(11:17) Stages On Life’s Way. The Third Stage: The Religious
(13:14) Fear and Trembling. The Religious vs The Ethical
(14:08) Teleological Suspension of the Ethical
(14:50) Knights of Infinite Resignation vs Knights of Faith
(15:41) Anxiety and Angst
(17:51) Leap of Faith
(18:17) The Absurd
(19:02) Find Your Own Truth
(20:46) Kierkegaard’s Final Moments
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