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Soren Kierkegaard Essay

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Project: Soren Kierkegaard: Mega Mind of the 19th Century

Soren Kierkegaard: Mega Mind of the 19th Century As a man whose work spans across areas such as philosophy, theology, devotional literature, and more, Soren Kierkegaard is considered one of the mega-minds of philosophy and the 19th century. He was influenced by many people throughout his life, as well as influencing many people himself. With works that ranged from religious views all the way to developing a “new” way to view our surroundings, Kierkegaard was a very well-rounded and mentally profound man. There were few people that could influence such a profound mind at the time, but Kierkegaard found them both in church as well as in the realm of philosophy. As a whole …show more content…

how deceptive then, that an omnipresent being should be recognisable precisely by being invisible’ (McDonald, 1996).” His father’s influence has been noted quite frequently in Kierkegaard’s works.
Not only did Kierkegaard inherit his father's melancholy, his sense of guilt and anxiety, and his pietistic emphasis on the dour aspects of Christian faith, but he also inherited his talents for philosophical argument and creative imagination (McDonald, 1996). Kierkegaard was a very religious man, even though he did not attend church on a regular basis. “He perceived God and existence of life from a humanistic view emphasizing the total autonomy of man (Philosopher Kierkegaard, 2011).” As almost a lone man standing, Kierkegaard was in seclusion publishing his writings for most of his adult life, due to the atheism of fellow philosophers of his time. “[Kierkegaard’s] legacy was his belief that our response to God should be one of unrestrained passion toward our beloved (Philosopher Kierkegaard, 2011).” During his later years Kierkegaard felt that the Christian religion had become corrupt through secular and political involvement, so he started to attack Christendom saying

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