This dissertation addresses forgiveness as a philosophical matter, understanding that whenever forgiveness happens (or even when it is talked about) unnoticed theories of selfhood and time are at play. To bring these unobserved models of time and the self to the fore, this study explores a series of commonalities and divergences in some selected works by Augustine, Kierkegaard, and Arendt. In these texts, forgiveness is understood as the gathering of a self that is scattered in time (Augustine), as present participation in an earlier redemptive moment (Kierkegaard), or as an event that resists the otherwise rectilinear, death-oriented course of human life (Arendt).Why has forgiveness been mostly ignored in Western philosophy? What does this omission reveal about Western thought? Contemporary authors have argued for the (imperative) need to (re)think what forgiveness is, the conditions under which it (supposedly) occurs, and its relation to justice, since the inexpiable events of the past and present centuries maintain forgiveness an unresolved question. This study rests on a fundamental intuition: that for forgiveness to pass in history nothing must be passed from the one who forgives to the one who is forgiven. To support this claim, I undertake close readings of Augustine’s Confessions, Kierkegaard’s Works of Love, and Arendt’s The Human Condition. In these works, forgiveness is understood as a paradox —it must be contained to be given (Augustine), granted-yet-not-granted (Kierkegaard), and forgotten the moment it is given, as if never given at all (Arendt). Can forgiveness be thought of as a hidden existential capacity, and not as a magnanimous display of mercy? Can we imagine forgiveness as undoing the transgression we see, and secretly engaging with the invisible?

This study examines the influence of various Western mystical traditions on Leonard Cohen’s second novel, Beautiful Losers. It begins with a discussion of Cohen’s public remarks concerning religion and mysticism followed by an assessment of twentieth century Canadian criticism on Beautiful Losers. Three thematic chapters comprise the majority of the study, each concerning a different mystical tradition—Kabbalism, Gnosticism, and Christian mysticism, respectively. The author considers Beautiful Losers in relation to these systems, concluding that the novel effectively depicts the pursuit of God, or knowledge, through mystic practice and doctrine. This study will interest scholars seeking a careful exploration of Cohen’s use of religious themes in his work.

This graduation theses deals with the philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard from the point of view of fututre teacher. The first part of the theses offers theoretical overview of basic thoughts of the Danish philosopher based on comparison with other philosophers. The other part analyses the possibilities of usage Kierkegaard's philosophy in teaching philosophy at high schools. The educational aims and the lessons' procedures are being described in this section.

The thesis deals with the struggle for the Eternal and the Infinite in the works of Kierkegaard and Patočka. It starts with their respective concepts of existence. Based on them, positive and negative aspects of the relation of existence and transcendence are described. The main guiding principle of the description is the movement of the infinite resignation and the movement of the faith in Fear and Trembling, which is compared with the de-objectifying and all-founding force of the Idea in Negative platonism. It turns out that in the relation between existence and transcendence, one can discern the two basic meanings of the transcendent reality. These meanings, together with the positive and negative aspects of the relation of existence to transcendence, form the dialectic of positive and negative, in which the struggle for the Eternal nad the Infinite is set, as well as the struggle for an authentic human existence.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T17:27:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ilana Viana do Amaral.pdf: 1044064 bytes, checksum: b98d2712d86d324c4ed1db149a0f3847 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-10-21 / Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico / This present research investigates the concept of paradox in S.A. Kierkegaard´s work, starting from the critical dialogue present in the kierkegaardian apprehension of Hegel´s philosophical effort. This investigation searches to show the connections presented in the concept of paradox between faith, language and history, having as a background Kierkegaard´s dialogue with the hegelian categories. Considering that the center of Kierkegaard´s theorical opposition to Hegel is a critique to historical freedom´s formalization from objectivist criterions, we intend to explicit, by means of Hegel and Kierkegaard´s dialogue with Hans Georg Hamann, that the language´s apprehension is an experience of freedom´s exteriorization. The starting point of this Kierkegaard´s opposition is grounded in a lecture incompatible with an objectivation turned out to be autonomous, whose historical-referencial element is the State: this starting point will show itself nucleated in the spirit´s distinct apprehensions realized by both authors / A presente pesquisa investiga o conceito de paradoxo na obra de S. A. Kierkegaard a partir do dialogo crítico presente na apreensão kierkegaardiana do esforço filosófico de Hegel. Esta investigação busca mostrar as conexões apresentadas no conceito de paradoxo entre a fé, a linguagem e a história, tendo como pano de fundo o diálogo de Kierkegaard com as categorias hegelianas. Considerando que o centro da oposição teórica de Kierkegaard a Hegel é uma crítica à formalização da liberdade histórica a partir de critérios objetivistas, explicitaremos, por meio do diálogo de Hegel e Kierkegaard com Hans Georg Hamann, a apreensão da linguagem como experiência de exteriorização da liberdade. O ponto de partida desta oposição kierkegaardiana está ancorado numa leitura incompatível com uma objetivação tornada autônoma, cujo elemento histórico-referencial é o Estado: ele se mostrará nucleado nas distintas apreensões do espírito realizadas pelos dois autores

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T17:27:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ranis Fonseca de Oliveira.pdf: 388359 bytes, checksum: d264201926d3a0d5146a06aec8747857 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-04 / This thesis proposes to investigate, with mainstay in theoretical research and literature, the despair and anguish, based on the philosophy of Kierkegaard (1.813-1.855). These two issues are discussed by him in La Maladie the La Mort, under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus, and in Le concept d'Angoisse under the pseudonym of Vigilius Haufniensis. Both the despair, as the existential anguish are real problems which, sooner or later, the individual, as possessor of mind, hopelessly experience and are therefore aspects of the human condition. Kierkegaard understood the desperation as a deadly disease and identifies it with sin, whose faith is the antidote. Already the anguish is understood as the feeling that accompanies all human decisions / A presente dissertação propõe-se a investigar, com esteio em pesquisa teórica e bibliográfica, o desespero e a angústia, tendo como base a filosofia de Kierkegaard (1.813-1.855). O desespero é analisado por ele em La Maladie a La Mort, sob o pseudônimo de Anti-Climacus, e angústia em Le Concept d Angoisse, sob o pseudônimo de Vigilius Haufniensis. Tanto o desespero, quanto a angústia são problemas existenciais reais, que, cedo ou tarde, o indivíduo, por ser possuidor de espírito, experimentará irremediavelmente; são, portanto, aspectos inerentes à condição humana. Kierkegaard entende o desespero como uma doença mortal e identifica-o com o pecado, cujo antídoto é a fé. Já a angústia é entendida como o sentimento que acompanha todas as decisões humanas

<p>This paper is about Soren Aabye Kierkegaards (1813-1855) philosophy regarding the relation between the aesthetic and the ethic stage. The result of the essay is a modification of the aesthetic problem. The suggestion is to convert part of Kierkegaard’s metaphysical claims into an epistemic approach. An epistemic approach means to hold a position of well grounded stipulative beliefs. The argument for this suggestion is that it’s not possible to decide the truth in Kierkegaard’s metaphysical claims and therefore is it more fruitful to take an epistemic position. This paper claims that for the aesthetic person an argumentation on an epistemic level should be enough to choose the ethic way of life.</p> / <p>Denna uppsats behandlar Sören Aabye Kierkegaards (1813-1855) filosofi med avseende på förhållandet mellan det estetiska och etiska stadiet. Resultat av uppsatsen faller ut i ett förslag till modifiering av Kierkegaards lösning på det estetiska problemet. Förslaget till modifiering går ut på att istället inta en epistemisk hållning till de metafysiska sanningsanspråk som görs i Kierkegaards filosofi. Med en epistemisk hållning menas en position som bygger på stipulativa välgrundade trosföreställningar. Argumentet för detta är att vi inte kan avgöra sanningsvärdet i Kierkegaards metafysik och därför är den epistemiska positionen mer fruktbar. Uppsatsen hävdar att för estetikern borde en argumentation på epistemisk nivå räcka för att välja det etiska.</p>

No description available.

Originally presented as the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Berkeley, 1987.

This paper is about Soren Aabye Kierkegaards (1813-1855) philosophy regarding the relation between the aesthetic and the ethic stage. The result of the essay is a modification of the aesthetic problem. The suggestion is to convert part of Kierkegaard’s metaphysical claims into an epistemic approach. An epistemic approach means to hold a position of well grounded stipulative beliefs. The argument for this suggestion is that it’s not possible to decide the truth in Kierkegaard’s metaphysical claims and therefore is it more fruitful to take an epistemic position. This paper claims that for the aesthetic person an argumentation on an epistemic level should be enough to choose the ethic way of life. / Denna uppsats behandlar Sören Aabye Kierkegaards (1813-1855) filosofi med avseende på förhållandet mellan det estetiska och etiska stadiet. Resultat av uppsatsen faller ut i ett förslag till modifiering av Kierkegaards lösning på det estetiska problemet. Förslaget till modifiering går ut på att istället inta en epistemisk hållning till de metafysiska sanningsanspråk som görs i Kierkegaards filosofi. Med en epistemisk hållning menas en position som bygger på stipulativa välgrundade trosföreställningar. Argumentet för detta är att vi inte kan avgöra sanningsvärdet i Kierkegaards metafysik och därför är den epistemiska positionen mer fruktbar. Uppsatsen hävdar att för estetikern borde en argumentation på epistemisk nivå räcka för att välja det etiska.