Kierkegaard And Communism - 1747 Words

On first and second glance, it may appear impossible to draw any concrete connection between the philosophy of Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard, a seventeenth century Danish Philosopher who worked heavily on existential themes, faith, and Christianity, and the Soviet Union. On one hand, Kierkegaard himself lived his life almost solely in Denmark, rarely leaving his own hometown, so his experience of the World outside of Denmark was extremely limited and focused on his world, especially the world of the Danish National Church. On the other hand, the Soviet Union embraced Communism, and with it its atheistic stances on social and political implications of religion and religious institutions, the Soviet ideology would appear to stand in opposition to the†¦show more content†¦In order to attempt this sort of analysis, there are a number of factors that must be addressed first, with the most crucial being the understanding of Kierkegaard, his relevant works, and his Philosophy. Sà ¸ren Aaby e Kierkegaard was born in 1813 in Copenhagen to Ane Sà ¸rensdatter Lund Kierkegaard and Michael Pedersen Kierkegaard, the latter a pastor of the Danish National Church. According to Daniel Conway, a professor of Philosophy and the Humanities at Texas AM, â€Å"although influential today for his diverse contributions to the fields of philosophy, theology, rhetoric, literary theory, and depth philosophy, Kierkegaard was widely known in his own day as a provocative social critic† (Conway 2015, 1). He was highly critical of the church in his hometown, and the Danish National Church in general, in addition to Christianity and what it meant for one to have faith in the almighty. Thus, much of Kierkegaard’s work deals with faith and Christianity to some extent, as seen with Fear and Trembling, the work that will be most heavily sourced within this thesis. Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling was written and published in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio. Kierk egaard often wrote and published his works under different pseudonyms, each often having some sort of significance to the work in which it is situated. The significance of the pseudonym of Fear and Trembling, according to the author ofShow MoreRelatedChapter 30 Thought And Culture During World Wars And Totalitarianism971 Words   |  4 Pagesto fascism or communism. During this time period, people wanted to find purpose when they weren t able to find it through reason. They were able to then find their purpose by joining something bigger than them, which also helps us understand why nationalism rose drastically during this time period. To expand a little more on this topic, many found hope in fascism because of its radical and barbaric ways. However, many intellectuals found a safe haven in the Soviet Union s Communism. They saw CommunismRead MoreCondemned Freedom: Sartre1417 Words   |  6 Pagesdefinition in his political affiliations—Communism. When it came to communism it would appear, â€Å"initially, Sartre seemed to have implicit faith in the realisation of Soviet socialism† (Welten). Later in life when he left the communist party due to anger of the U.S.S.R.’s invasion of Hungary, he renounced an organization that respected him as one of the leaders of their political party. For years though Sartre was considered one of the largest proponents of Communism in France. This shows that Sartre followedRead MoreThe Great Depression By Albert Camus997 Words   |  4 PagesAlbert Camus was a philosopher who was born in Algeria on November 7, 1913. His writings, like so many others, were imp acted by the Great Depression, the rise of National Socialism and Communism, and the destruction of, and reconstruction after World War II. He contributed multiple works as part of the â€Å"Continental† philosophy tradition of mainland Europe. Major works include The Rebel, The Stranger and most recognized The Myth of Sisyphus. He died in France in 1960, in a car accident while writingRead MoreThe Life of Jean-Paul Sartre847 Words   |  4 Pagesthe individual person being a free and responsible person who determines his or her own development through acts of will. Existentialism is a thesis that has been discussed by some of the greatest philosophical minds ever to live. Minds such as Kierkegaard and Nietzsche all had their own view on what existentialism was and major impact on the development of this thesis. Each of these philosophies played a huge influence on a great mind that would come later on in history. That was the mind of Jean-PaulRead MoreSurrealism And Unreali sm In Reronne Magrittes Golconda?1529 Words   |  7 Pageswell as the culture surrounding his day to day life, both of which impacted him. One exposition of Golconda is that Magritte is trying to signify the difference between individualism and class association, and how it is fogged. After World War II Communism (Marxism) took over Eastern Europe. Many Eastern European countries were freed from Nazi Germany by the Russians. The Russians decided to stay in countries like Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. After the war these countries were suffering extremelyRead MoreChapter 30 Ap Euro Outline Essay2891 Words   |  12 PagesChild rearing was now a smaller proportion of their lives Other things became more important Women (especially urban women) had fewer children, and had them later. Some decided not to have children at all Women In The New Eastern Europe Under communism, women had equal rights and gov. benefits Over 50% worked No women’s movements, however New gov had gave funding for health and welfare for women and children Limited maternity benefits Women were paid less, and laid off before men. TransformationRead MorePhilisophical Background of The Stranger Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pagesmeaning in life, separate from religious or political doctrine. While he was brought up a Catholic, he largely rejected religious authority and he opposed any rigid political authority because of his experiences with totalitarianism. Marxism and Communism were popular political ideas in France at the time, but Camus came to reject any kind of systematic philosophy, whether it was in politics or in the church. The Stranger well illustrates these philosophical ideas of his. In many ways The StrangerRead MoreExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 PagesEach new height must then be validated by a higher one. This evokes the common theological question: if humankind was created by God, who or what created God? (And, if God answers to a higher power, to what power does that answer?) * Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard, although religious himself, declared faith in God to be absurd, since it is impossible to know God, or to understand His purpose. In  The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus described suicide as the most appropriate and rational reaction to the absurd — butRead MoreBranches of Philosophy8343 Words   |  34 Pagesmid-20th century: †¢ Freges work in logic and Sidgwicks work in ethics provided the tools for early analytic philosophy †¢ Husserl initiated the school of phenomenology †¢ Peirce and William James initiated the school of pragmatism †¢ Kierkegaard and Nietzsche laid the groundwork for existentialism †¢ Karl Marx began the study of social materialist philosophy. [edit] Contemporary philosophy (c. 1900 – present) Main article: Contemporary philosophy [edit] 20th century philosophy WithinRead Morewisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 Pages 2007) that mentioned his â€Å"wit and wisdom† in its title, available at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1294342.ece. 24 Humor, Wisdom, and Faith 25 Critics of Religious Dogmatism 26 Four Believers Who Stressed Humor: Kierkegaard, Chesterton, Niebuhr, and Auden 27 Conclusion 34 Copyright  © 2011 by Walter G. Moss WISDOM, HUMOR, AND FAITH: A HISTORICAL VIEW â€Å"And frame your mind to mirth and merriment, / Which bars a thousand harms and lengthens life.† Shakespeare,