Søren Kierkegaard

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (Danish: Søren Aabye Kierkegaard) ; May 5, 1813 - November 11, 1855), a Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic and religious writer, who is generally regarded as the founder of existentialism. He has written many critical essays on institutional religion, Christianity, morality, ethics, psychology, and philosophy of religion, often filled with metaphors, satire, and allegories. His philosophical work focuses on how humans become "single individuals," focusing on human reality rather than abstract thinking, and emphasizing the importance of personal choice and practice. He opposed the literary criticism of idealist intellectuals and philosophers at that time, and believed that those so-called "scholars" had not fully understood the thoughts of Swedenborg, Hegel, Fichte, Schelling, Schlegel, Andersen and others. Kierkegaard's theological works focus on Christian ethics, religious communities, the differences between objective evidences of Christianity, the infinite differences in nature between humans and gods, and the subjective relationship between the individual and the God-man Jesus Christ that stems from faith. Many of his works deal with Christian love. Kierkegaard was a strong critic of Christian theocracy (such as the Church of Denmark at that time). His psychological work explores the emotions and feelings of individuals when faced with choices. Kierkegaard's early works were often published under pseudonyms to present intersecting perspectives in complex dialogues. Different pseudonyms are used to express different views and explore complex issues from different angles. The work "Eighteen Teachings" was published under his real name. He dedicated this book to the "single individual" who hopes to discover the meaning of his work. He wrote: "Science teaches people to act objectively, while Christianity teaches people to act subjectively and become subjects." Scientists advocate that observation should be used to understand the world, but Kierkegaard believed that observation alone is not enough to reveal the structure of the spiritual world. Kierkegaard's main teachings include the concepts of "subjective truth and objective truth", the knight of faith, the dichotomy of recollection and repetition, the concept of fear, infinite differences in nature, faith as passion, and the three stages of the path of life. Kierkegaard's work was written in Danish, so his initial scope of influence was limited to Scandinavia. However, by the beginning of the 20th century, his works had been translated into French, German and other major European languages. By the middle of the 20th century, his thoughts had a profound influence on philosophy, theology and the entire Western world.