Where does Soren Kierkegaard start?

In general, if you just want to get a basic “What is considered ‘Kierkegaard’ by most people?” sense of his works, always begin with Fear and Trembling. It is his most popular work by far and with good reason–Sartre learned Danish seemingly just to read it despite him claiming it was to read Kierkegaard.

Was Kierkegaard a genius?

“Geniuses are like thunderstorms: they go against the wind; terrify mankind; cleanse the air.” Thus wrote Søren Kierkegaard in 1849 in a journal entry with clear autobiographical overtones. He considered himself a genius. Søren Kierkegaard was born May 5, 1813 as the youngest of seven children.

Which Kierkegaard should I read first?

What was Søren Kierkegaard’s family life like?

Søren Kierkegaard was born in Copenhagen in 1813 to a wealthy family. His father was Michael Pedersen Kierkegaard, a very religious wool merchant with a conservative sense of existence. His mother was Anne Sorensdatter Lund Kierkegaard, a young servant his father impregnated. This fact made him feel like he was the product of a sinful act.

What are some of Kierkegaard’s famous quotes?

Søren Kierkegaard quotes Showing 1-30 of 813 “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” “People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.”

What does Søren Kierkegaard say about science and superstition?

Kierkegaard does not deny the fruitfulness or validity of abstract thinking (science, logic, and so on), but he does deny any superstition which pretends that abstract theorizing is a sufficient concluding argument for human existence.

How do I start reading Søren Kierkegaard?

Start by following Søren Kierkegaard. “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” “People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.”