For M.A;Semester-3
Contemporary Western Philosophy By Dr. Vijeta Singh Assistant Professor University Department of Philosophy(P.U)
Soren Kierkegaard Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), considered to be the first existentialist philosopher, was of Danish nationality. He was also a theologian, poet, social critic and religious author. Accordingly, his work crosses the boundaries of philosophy, theology, psychology, literary criticism, devotional literature and fiction. He made many original conceptual contributions to each of the disciplines he employed. He was a great supporter of freedom and values of human individual. The main philosophical themes and principal conceptions of Kierkegaard’s philosophy are truth, freedom, choice, and God. For him, human beings stand out as responsible individuals who must make free choices. Kierkegaard was born on May 5, 1813 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He studied Theology and Philosophy from Copenhagen University . Kierkegaard lived the majority of his life alone. He left his native Copenhagen only three or four times, each time to visit Berlin , and never married, though he was engaged for a short time. Kierkegaard is known for his critiques of Hegel, for his fervent analysis of the Christian faith, and for being an early precursor to the existentialists. He is known as the “father of existentialism”. Kierkegaard is generally considered to have been the first existentialist philosopher, though he did not use the term existentialism. He proposed that each individual , not society or religion, is solely responsible for giving meaning to life and living it passionately and sincerely, or authentically. Kierkegaard is said to have inaugurated modern existentialism in the early 19th century, while Jean-Paul Sartre is said to have been the last great existentialist thinker in the 20th century. The former was a devoted Christian and the latter a committed atheist, yet both are considered existentialists, which suggests a 1