Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855)

Kierkegaard wrote under pseudonyms, argued with the Danish church, broke off his engagement to the woman he loved, and died at forty-two. He left behind a body of work that essentially invented existentialism before the word existed. Either/Or. Fear and Trembling. The Sickness Unto Death. His subject was always the same: what it means to be a single individual facing choices that no system, no philosophy, no crowd can make for you.

Concepts

absurd, agency, alienation, authenticity, freedom, loneliness, meaning, mortality

Notable Works

Resonant Voices

Albert Camus, Friedrich Nietzsche, Rollo May, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Jean-Paul Sartre, Kurt Vonnegut

Quotes (7)

“Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” — The Concept of Anxiety (1844)
“The most common form of despair is not being who you are.” — The Sickness Unto Death (1849)
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” — Journals (1843)
“The biggest danger, that of losing oneself, can pass off in the world as quie...” — The Sickness Unto Death (1849)
“What I really need is to get clear about what I must do, not what I must know...” — Journals (1835)
“Do it or do not do it — you will regret both.” — Either/Or (1843)
“The most common form of despair is not being who you are.” — The Sickness Unto Death (1849)