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A Beginners Guide to Kierkegaard

On the philosopher and theologian's 202nd birthday, a look at some of his most
influential teachings.
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by MICHAEL D. STARK

At the beginning of most of my introduction to philosophy classes, I find myself having to

emphasize to my students the practical benefits gained from the study of philosophy. I
challenge students to think critically about different theories and views we will inevitably
encounter.
To model this, I often start the term with my own personal story with philosophy, much of
which centers on 19th Century Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, whose 202nd
birthday we celebrate today (I discussed part of my journey for RELEVANT on
Kierkegaard's bicentennial).

As an existential philosopher, Kierkegaard is precisely concerned with how we live our

lives. This issue seems to be more significant to Kierkegaard than holding correct beliefs.
Given that Kierkegaard was a Christian philosopher, this might be surprising to some. Yet
this perspective was useful in Kierkegaards time and remains so now.
The past year or so has involved a plethora of controversies, strained relationships internal
to Christianity and unnecessary conflict. Even 160 years after his death, Kierkegaards
writings and philosophies have much that can apply to the lives of Christians in the 21st
Century. Heres a brief introduction to some of the key things he can still teach us, based
largely on some of his writings in Works of Love.

KIERKEGAARD MAINTAINS THAT CHRISTIANITY IS NOT MERELY A SET OF DOGMATIC

CLAIMS. THE POINT OF CHRISTIANITY IS NOT MERE BELIEF, BUT APPROPRIATING
BELIEF FOR HEALTHY LIVING.

The Man of Many Names

Kierkegaards approach to philosophy is unorthodox. Not only does he examine questions
differently than thinkers previous to him, but he writes under the guise of various
pseudonyms. The pseudonymous works were not written to hide Kierkegaards identity,
but rather to provide different perspectives on topics surrounding Christianity.
Kierkegaard writes in Point of View that the issue of his entire work as an author is the
question of becoming a Christian. He wants his readers to understand the gravity of what
Christianity requires of a life, and his method of doing so is not through theological
treatises, but through existential examinations from various viewpoints.
Kierkegaards method is called indirect communication. In this process, Kierkegaard wants
the reader to existentially (or personally) engage his writings in their own unique manner
from whatever vantage point readers find themselves. Additionally, it is his method of
showing the strengths and weaknesses of certain positions.
Kierkegaard takes issue with a purely objective examination of Christian claims. An
objective evaluation of Christianity removes one from the object of evaluation itself,
Christ. Kierkegaard maintains that Christianity is not merely a set of dogmatic claims. The
point of Christianity is not mere belief, but appropriating belief for healthy living. Each
person must take inventory of their Self and engage the narrative of Christianity from that
unique perspective. This is authentic engagement.

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

When Luke 10 is invoked, focus is often placed on the neighbor. Kierkegaard rightly
recognizes that there is a prerequisite for loving others well: In order to achieve this, one
must first love oneself well.
This may seem selfish or backward. Yet what Kierkegaard emphasizes is that one must
have a healthy view of self in order to love others well. How am I to love others well if I do
not understand what it means to love myself? How can I respect my neighbor if I cannot
first respect myself?
The Christian view of self-love is wonderfully distinct from a selfish love. The Christian
perspective of love is that it is deeply entrenched in God Himself. Given that we are made
in Gods image, this idea of love is deeply rooted in each of us. Yet we have a duty to foster
our love for ourselves.
Kierkegaard writes in Works of Love, This as yourself does not waver in its aim, and with
the firmness of the eternal, it critically penetrates to the innermost hiding place where a
man loves himself.
The duty to love others rests deep within us. The means to fulfilling that duty is the as
yourself.

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

Kierkegaard recognizes the seemingly inseparable connection that ought to exist between
Self and neighbor. When Christ gives this command, Kierkegaard stipulates that ones
neighbor is as close to the life of self-love as possible. The old golden rule is in play here.
We have an obligation, a duty, to do unto others what we would like done unto ourselves.
In Works of Love, Kierkegaard briefly examines the parable of the good Samaritan seen in
Luke 10. When Christ asked the Pharisee which of the three individuals in the parable
performed the correct action, the Pharisee acknowledges the correct response: The one
who showed mercy.

THE BEAUTY OF KIERKEGAARD IS ALSO THE DIFFICULTY OF KIERKEGAARD. HE SIMPLY

DOES NOT LET THE READER ESCAPE A PERSONAL READING.
Kierkegaard writes, He towards whom I have a duty is my neighbor, and when I fulfill my
duty, I prove that I am my neighbor. Christ does not speak about recognizing ones
neighbor but about being a neighbor oneself, proving oneself to be a neighbor, something

the Samaritan showed by his compassion.

The Beauty and Difficulty of Kierkegaard

The beauty of Kierkegaard is also the difficulty of Kierkegaard. He simply does not let the
reader escape a personal reading. Kierkegaards perspective on Christian values, evidenced
here as love, is not some objective deliberation about the nature of love. Instead he forces
himself and his reader to confront the reality that Christianity is something to live out, not
merely believe absent of appropriating that belief into our lives.
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If Kierkegaard were writing in our contemporary times, I think hed be preaching the same
thing he did in his context. People seem to speak truth, yet live a life that precludes real
Christian truth. For a truth not embedded in love is not Christian truth, and love not
embedded with truth is not Christian love. Christ embodied and was the essence of both
truth and love.
Kierkegaard vividly reminds the Christian that with invisible letters behind every work in
Holy Scripture, a disturbing notice confronts (the reader)for there it reads go and do
likewise.
The significance of this command, to go and live Christ-like, is a tremendous one. Its the
conclusion to which Kierkegaard seems to build. We are commanded to love like Christ
loved the Samaritan woman, or Zacheaus, or those who betrayed Him as He hung near
lifelessness on a cross. It is a love unconditional. It is a love of close proximity. It is a love
that blurs the line between self and other because both parties are the neighbor.
In all the significance that Kierkegaard has had in my life, perhaps none is as important as
how he framed the idea of love, and my duty to love myself and my neighbor the same.
In this next year, I encourage you to read Kierkegaard, to ponder his thoughts. I cant say
that youll always agree, but thats not the point. What I can promise is that he will

challenge you. That is the point.

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TOP COMMENTS

5/5/2015 12:23 PM

David Williams commented

+-

If you're into Kierkegaard, you might want to listen to the haunting, intense choral
arrangement of his prayers by Samuel Barber. Beautiful, spiritual, complex, and
demanding, just like the man himself.
The music is right here. Really. It is. It's well worth 17 minutes of your life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kemoCE4jaxw

6/5/2015 1:07 AM

+-

Ryan Harrison commented

Michael, I appreciated this article and think it serves its purpose well: to leave the
reader wanting to read more of Kierkegaard's works. I'll admit, it's been awhile since
I've turned to his books on my shelf but it's definitely time! I appreciated the 'go and
do likewise' reminder and will also reflect on blurred lines between neighbor and
self. Thanks for this article!

4 COMMENTS

5/5/2015 12:23 PM

+-

David Williams commented

If you're into Kierkegaard, you might want to listen to the haunting, intense choral
arrangement of his prayers by Samuel Barber. Beautiful, spiritual, complex, and
demanding, just like the man himself.
The music is right here. Really. It is. It's well worth 17 minutes of your life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kemoCE4jaxw

5/5/2015 1:14 PM

+-

Kristian Stensland commented

- Love Your Neighbor As Yourself. The Sickness Unto Death, is a book written by
Danish philosopher, Sren Kierkegaard in 1849 under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus.

A work of Christian existentialism. - In The Sickness Unto Death, Kierkegaard

personifies an attitude with the average citizen (spissborger). This is an individual
who is unconsciously fleeing from the opportunity to live an authentic life. This
average citizen often appears as "morally superior" to others, but really this is an
unreflected individual. The individual are being swallowed up by social norms and
others expectations, without even being aware of this. The result is that the
individual becomes alienated, both from himselves and the society. An individual's
values must be the result of an "existential awareness." The important thing is to
preserve the independence and responsibility in interacting with other people, and
it's precisely this ability the character never did develop (Matthew 22:39). - A
synthesis of individual freedom and existential integrity, however, can only be
reached when the individual have seen through all the deception of society. Should
someone discover their freedom in relation to others, the realization must begin
from scratch, as an expanding opportunity that blows away one's definition of self. A
realization of this can only come into existence, through the establishment of
another center for an individual's values, identity, the self, our freedom, etc. For
Kierkegaard it is God (Christianity), but then released from a variety of religious and
secular beliefs related to him - that opens the self from inside and establishes a
different center for the individual's identity, values, the self and our freedom. Kierkegaard didn't believe in finding the perfect "system". To the "system" as the
solution to everything. Because any system is based on rational principles, and
subjectivity is not rational. A person who has fulfilled the unconditional selfexamination, Kierkegaard requires, have reached the limit for how far the
intellectual sense can lead us. This change puts everything in proper relation to
man. Spiritually, it means that God brings Christians to new life from a previous state
of sub

5/5/2015 1:23 PM

+-

Kristian Stensland replied to Kristian Stensland's comment

Spiritually, it means that God brings Christians to new life from a previous
state of subjection to the decay of death (Ephesians 2:2). (Regeneration.)

6/5/2015 1:07 AM

Ryan Harrison commented

+-

Michael, I appreciated this article and think it serves its purpose well: to leave the
reader wanting to read more of Kierkegaard's works. I'll admit, it's been awhile since
I've turned to his books on my shelf but it's definitely time! I appreciated the 'go and
do likewise' reminder and will also reflect on blurred lines between neighbor and
self. Thanks for this article!

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