Søren Kierkegaard

Known for

Father of existentialism, Fear and Trembling, the leap of faith

Thought

Kierkegaard held that the deepest truths of existence — faith chief among them — cannot be reached through detached, abstract reasoning but only through passionate, subjective commitment: a "leap of faith" taken in the face of objective uncertainty. By insisting the individual, not systems or society, must confront choice, anxiety and meaning directly, he is regarded as the forerunner of existentialism.

Biography

Danish philosopher and devout, unorthodox Christian who wrote much of his work under pseudonyms and sharply criticized the comfortable, institutional Christianity of his day.

CSS Philosophy paper topics

Major works

• Fear and Trembling
• The Concept of Anxiety