Kierkegaard's infamous and hugely influential philosophical work on faith, choice and sacrificeIn Fear and Trembling Kierkegaard, writing under the pseudonym Johannes de silentio, expounds his personal view of religion through the scene in Genesis in which Abraham prepares to kill his son at God's command. Kierkegaard believed Abraham's unreserved obedience to be the essential leap of faith needed to make a full commitment to his religion. The conviction shown in this pole...

In our time nobody is content to stop with faith but wants to go further. It would perhaps be rash to ask where these people are going, but it is surely a sign of breeding and culture for me to assume that everybody has faith, for otherwise it would be queer for them to be . . . going further. In those old days it was different, then faith was a task for a whole lifetime, because it was assumed that dexterity in faith is not acquired in a few days or weeks. When the tried oldster drew near...

In our time nobody is content to stop with faith but wants to go further. It would perhaps be rash to ask where these people are going, but it is surely a sign of breeding and culture for me to assume that everybody has faith, for otherwise it would be queer for them to be . . . going further. In those old days it was different, then faith was a task for a whole lifetime, because it was assumed that dexterity in faith is not acquired in a few days or weeks. When the tried oldster drew near...

In Either/Or, using the voices of two characters - the aesthetic young man of part one, called simply 'A', and the ethical Judge Vilhelm of the second section - Kierkegaard reflects upon the search for a meaningful existence, contemplating subjects as diverse as Mozart, drama, boredom, and, in the famous Seducer's Diary, the cynical seduction and ultimate rejection of a young, beautiful woman. A masterpiece of duality, Either/Or is a brilliant exploration of the conflict between the aesthe...

Søren Kierkegaard's witty sayings and deep observations never cease to astound and challenge us.In addition to being the founder of religious existentialism, Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, psychologist, and writer.His concepts are simultaneously paradoxical and graceful. He once stated that it is impossible to approach God using reason, as human thought is neither capable of comprehending nor explaining the religious aspect of our existence. Kierkegaard's philosophical...

One of the most remarkable philosophical works of the nineteenth century, The Sickness Unto Death is also famed for the depth and acuity of its modern psychological insights. Writing under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus, Kierkegaard explores the concept of 'despair', alerting readers to the diversity of ways in which they may be described as living in this state of bleak abandonment - including some that may seem just the opposite - and offering a much-discussed formula for the eradication of...

The Sickness unto Death, Kierkegaard moves beyond anxiety on the mental-emotional level to the spiritual level, where--in contact with the eternal--anxiety becomes despair. Both anxiety and despair reflect the misrelation that arises in the self when the elements of the synthesis--the infinite and the finite--do not come into proper relation to each other. Despair is a deeper expression for anxiety and is a mark of the eternal, which is intended to penetrate temporal existence.

What do Stoics, strategists, and poets have in common?They asked better questions—and lived bolder answers.The Complete Philosophy Collection brings together 15+ of the most influential philosophical texts in human history—newly translated for clarity and narrated to inspire.Spanning thousands of years and many traditions, this audiobook will help you cultivate resilience, sharpen your thinking, and explore the nature of truth, ethics, leadership, and existence....

A nineteenth century Danish philosopher and theologian, Søren Kierkegaard was a major influence on the development of existentialism and Protestant theology. He attacked the literary, philosophical and ecclesiastical establishments of his day for misrepresenting the highest task of human existence—becoming oneself in an ethical and religious sense. His critical works on organised religion, Christianity, morality, ethics and psychology reveal a fondness for metaphor, irony and parab...

Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on organized religion, Christendom, morality, ethics, psychology, and the philosophy of religion, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony and parables. Much of his philosophical work deals with the issues of how one lives as a "single individual", giving priority to concrete human reality over abstrac...

It was on one of the last days in July, at ten o'clock in the evening, when the participants in that banquet assembled together. Date and year I have forgotten; indeed this would be interesting only to one's memory of details: and not to one's recollection of the contents of what experience. The spirit of the occasion and whatever impressions are recorded in one's mind under that heading, concerns only one's recollections; and just as generous wine gains in flavor by passing the Equator, b...

Existentialism is a movement in philosophy and literature that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice. It holds that, as there is no God or any other transcendent force, the only way to counter this nothingness (and hence to find meaning in life) is by embracing existence.The Existential Literature Collection features:FEAR AND TREMBLING, by Soren KierkegaardMANIFESTO OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY, by Karl Marx and Friedrich EngelsON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DIS...