Fear And Trembling

Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic, and author. Born in 1813, he is widely regarded as the first existentialist philosopher. Like later existentialists, he prioritized the self as the basis for all philosophy, viewing humans as free agents capable of making decisions and finding spiritual truths. In most of his earlier works, including Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard wrote under pseudonyms so that he could engage with philosophical topics and questions from a variety of perspectives. In doing so, he employed the Hegelian dialectic, though he disagreed with Hegel’s views and felt that social and literary critics of his time were far too quick to employ Hegelian philosophy in their criticism.

Kierkegaard’s father had been a laborer on church lands before he moved the family to Copenhagen, where he became rich through his work as a wholesaler. Kierkegaard had six siblings, four of whom died. From his father, he inherited a strict religiosity as well as a generally depressed personality and outlook on life. As a young man, Kierkegaard studied theology. He was engaged to a woman named Regine Olsen but suddenly broke off their engagement for reasons that were never quite clear to him. Much of his writing deals with why he broke up with her and the ethical responsibility he felt. Fear and Trembling was written shortly after his breakup with Olsen. Over the next decade, he became frustrated with the Danish church and publicly challenged the clergy through various pamphlets and articles. He died of a lung infection in 1855. Against his wishes, the Danish church performed his funeral service.

At the time of his death, Kierkegaard was not well-liked in Copenhagen, and his work was not widely known, especially outside of Scandinavia. It was not until the 20th century that his works became as influential as they are now. Today, his philosophy is often seen in contrast to the rigid structure of Hegelianism, just as Kierkegaard intended.