Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / The intention of this thesis is to dwell on three small, specific texts in the work Either/Or from Danish Soren Aybe Kierkegaard (1813-1855). The first two texts are The erotic immediate states and Seducer's Diary, and are among the texts of the first part of the aforementioned book. The third text entitled The balance between the esthetical and the ethical in shaping the personality and belongs to the second part of the same book. The basis of a detailed explanation of the contents of these texts intends to consider the issue of Kierkegaardian stages (aesthetic, ethical and religious) and how they relate to the existence and consciousness. Within the concrete existence, the question of consciousness appears to the Danish philosopher from the explanation of these three existential dimensions, which are constituted in line with affective provisions and also with material modes of living and acting closely described by the daily existence of character. Bereft, initially, of any determination, the conscience will be materializing itself stemming from its sensitive existence, which keeps different moments and possibilities of its own. The basic thesis being discussed in this context is that these existential moments cannot be considered an evolutionary process, but must be taken as possibilities or ways of life, with its positivity and its risks. This study aims to show how the current readings of Kierkegaard's philosophy tend to value the ethical and moral development of stadiums and ignore the dimension of being more original, the immediate dimension which, when neglected, creates a gap between man and himself. / Essa dissertação pretende deter-se sobre três pequenos e específicos textos constantes da obra Ou... Ou, do dinamarquês Sören Aybe Kierkegaard (1813-1855). Os dois primeiros textos são Os estados eróticos imediatos e Diário do Sedutor, e estão entre os textos da primeira parte do livro supracitado; o terceiro texto intitula-se O equilíbrio entre o estético e o ético na formação da personalidade e pertence à segunda parte do mesmo livro. Partindo de uma explicitação detalhada do conteúdo destes textos pretende-se pensar a questão dos estádios kierkegaardianos (estético, ético e religioso) e a forma como estes se relacionam com a existência e a consciência. No âmbito da existência concreta, a questão da consciência aparece para o filósofo dinamarquês a partir da explanação destas três dimensões existenciais, as quais se constituem em sintonia com disposições afetivas e também com modos materiais de viver e agir, detidamente descritos pela existência cotidiana de personagens. Desprovida, inicialmente, de qualquer determinação, a consciência vai se concretizando a partir de sua existência sensível, que guarda constantemente diferentes momentos ou possibilidades próprias. A tese fundamental a ser discutida, neste contexto, é a de que esses momentos existenciais não podem ser considerados de forma evolutiva, mas precisam ser tomados como possibilidades ou formas de vida, com sua positividade e seus riscos. O trabalho pretende mostrar de que forma as leituras correntes da filosofia de Kierkegaard tendem a enaltecer o aspecto ético e moral dos estádios, acabando por ignorar a dimensão mais originária do ser, qual seja, a dimensão da disposição imediata que, ao ser desprezada, abre um flanco entre o homem e ele mesmo.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / The intention of this thesis is to dwell on three small, specific texts in the work Either/Or from Danish Soren Aybe Kierkegaard (1813-1855). The first two texts are The erotic immediate states and Seducer's Diary, and are among the texts of the first part of the aforementioned book. The third text entitled The balance between the esthetical and the ethical in shaping the personality and belongs to the second part of the same book. The basis of a detailed explanation of the contents of these texts intends to consider the issue of Kierkegaardian stages (aesthetic, ethical and religious) and how they relate to the existence and consciousness. Within the concrete existence, the question of consciousness appears to the Danish philosopher from the explanation of these three existential dimensions, which are constituted in line with affective provisions and also with material modes of living and acting closely described by the daily existence of character. Bereft, initially, of any determination, the conscience will be materializing itself stemming from its sensitive existence, which keeps different moments and possibilities of its own. The basic thesis being discussed in this context is that these existential moments cannot be considered an evolutionary process, but must be taken as possibilities or ways of life, with its positivity and its risks. This study aims to show how the current readings of Kierkegaard's philosophy tend to value the ethical and moral development of stadiums and ignore the dimension of being more original, the immediate dimension which, when neglected, creates a gap between man and himself. / Essa dissertação pretende deter-se sobre três pequenos e específicos textos constantes da obra Ou... Ou, do dinamarquês Sören Aybe Kierkegaard (1813-1855). Os dois primeiros textos são Os estados eróticos imediatos e Diário do Sedutor, e estão entre os textos da primeira parte do livro supracitado; o terceiro texto intitula-se O equilíbrio entre o estético e o ético na formação da personalidade e pertence à segunda parte do mesmo livro. Partindo de uma explicitação detalhada do conteúdo destes textos pretende-se pensar a questão dos estádios kierkegaardianos (estético, ético e religioso) e a forma como estes se relacionam com a existência e a consciência. No âmbito da existência concreta, a questão da consciência aparece para o filósofo dinamarquês a partir da explanação destas três dimensões existenciais, as quais se constituem em sintonia com disposições afetivas e também com modos materiais de viver e agir, detidamente descritos pela existência cotidiana de personagens. Desprovida, inicialmente, de qualquer determinação, a consciência vai se concretizando a partir de sua existência sensível, que guarda constantemente diferentes momentos ou possibilidades próprias. A tese fundamental a ser discutida, neste contexto, é a de que esses momentos existenciais não podem ser considerados de forma evolutiva, mas precisam ser tomados como possibilidades ou formas de vida, com sua positividade e seus riscos. O trabalho pretende mostrar de que forma as leituras correntes da filosofia de Kierkegaard tendem a enaltecer o aspecto ético e moral dos estádios, acabando por ignorar a dimensão mais originária do ser, qual seja, a dimensão da disposição imediata que, ao ser desprezada, abre um flanco entre o homem e ele mesmo.

Kierkegaard is generally regarded as a quintessential individualist who leaves no room for social or political engagement. This interpretation is the dominant lens through which many scholars view Kierkegaard, and it also shapes the way Kierkegaard’s thought has been received by his followers and critics. Many recent works have significantly challenged the traditional interpretation of Kierkegaard, but they have not examined the topic systematically. In order to remedy this deficit, this study provides a holistic account of Kierkegaard’s social thought. First, it challenges the dominant view that society as represented by the crowd is simply a foil for Kierkegaard’s individual by: (a) articulating a general approach for understanding how Kierkegaard’s negative comments about society and community do not constitute a rejection of sociality as such, and (b) demonstrating that Kierkegaard’s well-developed ideas on faith and religiosity are compatible with an account that emphasizes a broader social dimension in his thought. Second, I present a framework that outlines a positive theory of community, a ‘Dialectic of Community,’ which explains the importance of the Kierkegaardian single individual in the formation and development of community. This framework provides an interpretation of the social period of Kierkegaard’s authorship and its importance for the entirely of the authorship. Even though the interpretation is helpful for understanding Kierkegaard and his relationship to 19th and 20th century European moral, social, and political thought, Kierkegaard never explicitly describes how his conception of the self is consistent with his social thought. I address this problem by developing a narrative model of selfhood that illustrates the importance of subjectivity and the single individual for an adequate account of intersubjective selfhood. More specifically, I argue that narratives are important intersubjectively for becoming a person and a moral agent, but the concept of self is not exhausted in narrative. That is, having a self-narrative presupposes that the person is a subject who has a set of principles that organize one’s experiences and activities. This framework not only shows how Kierkegaard’s concept of subjectivity can be understood in a social context, but it also addresses a significant problem in narrative identity theory.

Die tema van hierdie verhandeling is 'n vergelykende studie van die kategorie enkeling by Soren Kierkegaard en Max Stirner met die doel om punte van ooreenkoms en basiese verskille uit te wys. Daar word gepoog om deur 'n analise van begrippe wat binne die kategorie van die enkeling val, nuwe lig te werp op die twee denkers se filosofie. Hierdie probleemstelling bring mee dat daar gedurig vergelykend gewerk word, maar dat die uiteensetting ook beperk word tot daardie basiese begrippe wat die vergelyking duidelik na vore bring. So word in hoofsaak dan die volgende behandel: Die probleem van denke en syn soos dit by die twee denkers voorkom, word ondersoek. Beide Kierkegaard en Stirner stel die eksisterende enkeling as die sentrale begrip in die soeke na 'n relasie tussen denke en syn. Belangrike verwante eksistensiebegrippe kom voorts onder bespreking; die stel van die self en selfkeuse, selfbewussyn, moontlikheid en wording, eksistensie, essensie, reele en ideele syn. By die ontleding van hierdie begrippe word duidelik aangedui hoe verskillend die antwoorde was wat Kierkegaard en Stirner gegee het in die lig van die filosofiese probleme van hulle tyd. Wanneer Kierkegaard die enkeling stel as eindig-oneindig word die moontlikheid meteen gestel vir 'n relasie van die enkeling tot God, terwyl Stirner die enkeling slegs as oneindig sien. Die begrippe "sprong" en "oomblik" gee die sleutel tot die verstaan van Kierkegaard se filosofie en stel meteen ook die moontlikheid dat 'tiie enkeling voor God" kan staan. Stirner en Kierkegaard se beskouing van "gees" is wyd ui teenlopend en illustreer duidelik Stirner se negatiewe denke en Kierkegaard se positiewe siening. Kierkegaard stel die begrip subjektiwiteit as antwoord op die vraag na die waarheid, terwyl Stirner ook van hierdie prinsipe uitgaan, maar 'n heel ander resultaat bereik. Kierkegaard stel die moontlikheid van 'n etiese lewe waarin die enkeling hoër as die universele is. Be ide Stirner en Kierkegaard trek te velde teen die moraliteit van hulle tyd, maar op heel verskillende wyse - dit blyk veral uit die inhoud wat hul gee aan begrippe soos "vryheid" en "massa". Kortliks word aangedui hoe Kierkegaard se filosofie uitloop op die finale stadium van religieusiteit deur die stel van begrippe soos sonde, skuld, angs ens. Stirner verwerp alle vorme van godsdiens as blote verbeeldingsvlugte. Die resultaat van die studie is dat hoewel daar enkele ernstige besware ingebring kan word teen Kierkegaard se siening van die "enkeling", hy nogtans 'n baie belangrike bydrae tot die filosofie lewer. Die positiewe van sy siening lê juis daarin dat die "enkeling" oop is vir 'n relasie tot die jy en veral die U. Stirner se beskouing loop uit op 'n volslae skeptisisme en is volledig onvrugbaar. Stirner en Kierkegaard se uiteindelike siening van die "enkeling" is wyd uiteenlopend en die basiese verskil kan reeds aangetoon word in die gebruik van die terme "Einzige" en "Einzelne"; Kierkegaard se "enkeling" is uniek en enig op 'n heel ander wyse dan Stirner se "enkeling". / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 1971. / gm2014 / Anthropology and Archaeology / unrestricted

Die doel van hierdie studie is om te probeer vasstel wat bedoel word met die etiese en die religieuse stadiums in die werke van Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855). Wat is die verband tussen hierdie twee stadiums? Hoe vind die oorgang van die een na die ander plaas? Op 'n krities-analitiese wyse word die verskillende synstrukture, kategoriee, begrippe en terme ondersoek soos dit in die denke van Kierkegaard voorkom. Die ondersoek en interpretasie van Kierkegaard se werk word deur verskillende faktore bemoeilik. Dit word in hierdie werkstuk kortliks genoem. Kierkegaard hou aan die leser sekere moontlike vorms van lewe voor. Hierdie vorms van lewe kan binne die etiese en religieuse dimensies val. Die belangrikste begrippe ten opsigte van hoe die enkeling die etiese en die religieuse ken, word voorts bespreek onder drie afdelings : die kategorie, die bestemming en die begrip. Kierkegaard stel dit dat die mens die vermoe het om sekere logiese tipes of reekse van tipes te kan onderskei. Die volgende tipes word bespreek : die verstaanskategorie en die eksistensiekategorie. Laasgenoemde sluit die kategorie van moontlikheid en die kategorie van herhaling in. By die bestemming gaan dit om die korrekte of verkeerde aanwending van die kategoriee. Hierdie beginsel word ondersoek in die etiese en die religieuse stadiums. Die probleem van tese-antitese-sintese word gestel in die lig van die Hegeliaanse beskouing van rnediasie. Die korrelasie wat Kierkegaard stel tussen denke en syn word aangetoon. Die probleem objek-subjek word bespreek en die onderskeid wat deur Kierkegaard gemaak word tussen kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe dialektiek. In die volgende hoofstuk word die eksistensiele beweging by die etiese en die religieuse stadiums aangedui. Vir Kierkegaard is die stel van die self en selfkeuse belangrik. Die selfbewussyn is die plek.waar denke en syn mekaar ontmoet. Die sleutelbegrippe moontlikheid, wording en essensie word geanaliseer. Die korrekte verstaan van ideele en reele syn is verbind met genoemde begrippe. Kierkegaard stel dit dat eksistensie 'n sintese van die oneindige en die eindige is en die eksisterende enkeling is sowel oneindig as eindig. Hierdie uitspraak word voorts ondersoek. Die rrsprong" is 'n sentrale begrip in sy filosofie. Hoe die sprong (in subjektiwiteit) verband hou met verskillende ander begrippe, word aangedui. Verskillende moontlike of gerealiseerde vorms van lewe word aan die leser voorgehou. Die "oomblik" is 'n begrip wat gebruik word in korrelasie met ander begrippe, bv. die tydsbegrip. Wanneer Kierkegaard die relasie van die enkeling stel met wat hy noem "die enkeling voor God'', probeer hy 'n antwoord gee op die sentrale probleem wat hy vir homself stel, nl. hoe om 'n Christen te word. Die verskil tussen Religieusiteit A en Religieusiteit B word oak aangedui. Die volgende hoofstuk handel oor die eksistensiele ervaring by die etiese en religieuse stadiums. Kierkegaard probeer 'n antwoord gee op die God-mens-verhouding. Hy gebruik die voorbeeld van Abraham in die Ou Testament om die beginsel van die teleologiese suspensie van die etiese te demonstreer. Hierdie grootse stuk filosofie van Kierkegaard word krities ondersoek. Kierkegaard se fundering van die etiese en die religieuse word bespreek naas die sieninge van bv. Kant en Hegel. Begrippe soos oneindige oorgawe, versoeking, "Anfechtung", absolute paradoks, skuld en onskuld kern aan die orde. Kategoriee soos wanhoop, angs, onkunde, onskuld, vryheid, ens. word gestel. Daar word aangetoon hoe van hierdie kategoriee by Karl Jaspers, J.P. Sartre en Martin Heidegger in gewysigde vorm voorkom. Die begrippe genie, fatum en passie word ontleed. Kierkegaard se siening van liggaam en gees hou verband met die self en sy moontlikhede; dit verskil by die etiese en religieuse stadiums. Die begrip erfsonde het nie die tradisionele inhoud nie en by die begrip sonde word twee tipes onderskei, die van die enkeling en die van die geslag. By die kategorie sonde word waarheid, onwaarheid, skuld en sondebewussyn gestel. Berou word die hoogste etiese uitdrukking van die enkeling. Die volgende stappe is versoening en "die enkeling.voor God". Die uiteenlopende siening random Kierkegaard se begrip van geloof word ondersoek. Hier le die "hart" van Kierkegaard se eksistensiefilosofie. Geloof is vir hom 'n persoonlike, unieke aangeleentheid van die eksisterende enkeling : dit is 'n wyse van lewe, 'n demonstrasie, streng persoonlik en subjektief. Die relasie tussen Religieusiteit A en Religieusiteit B word verder uitgewerk in die lig van die algemene kategorie van die humor. Die dialektiese verhouding tussen Religieusiteit A en Religieusiteit B word uiteengesit. Verskillende kritiese vrae random hierdie onderskeid word gestel. Met die kategorie lyding ('n uitsluitlik religieuse kategorie) wil Kierkegaard iets heel besonders se. Vir 'n duidelike uiteensetting van die verhouding tussen die etiese en die religieuse stadiums is die kategorie van die enkeling van groot belang. Ons leer die mens ken as enkeling, individu, unieke, enkele, ens. binne die etiese en die religieuse stadiums. Negatiewe kritiek random hierdie kategorie word bespreek en die vraag word gevra of Kierkegaard se enkeling nie totaal vereensaam en geisoleer raak nie? Wat is die enkeling se relasie tot die massa? By Gabriel Marcel, bv. word die "openheid" van die enkeling meer beklemtoon. Max Stirner en Karl Jaspers vind by Kierkegaard se begrip van die enkeling aansluiting. Naas Niezsche plaas Kierkegaard die mens weer sentraal in die filosofie. Kierkegaard was by ·uitstek die filosoof wat erns gemaak het met die Christendom. Hy ontmasker die Christendom van sy tyd met die doel om positiewe resultate te lewer. Hy worstel met die probleem van subjektiwiteit - die vertrekpunt en die eindpunt van sy filosofie. Daar is geen plek vir 'n rasionele etiek nie. 'n Etiese sisteem is nie moontlik nie. Die enkeling, elke handeling en elke situasie is uniek. Kierkegaard stel aan die een kant 'n duidelike onderskeid tussen die etiese en die religieuse stadiums, maar aan die ander kant bring hy die tw~e stadiums bymekaar deur sekere kategoriee te stel. Die relasie tussen die twee stadiums ontglip die leser, juis omdat dit 'n geloofsaksie is. Geloofsuitsprake is van 'n ander aard as etiese uitsprake. Die oorgang van rede tot geloof is met 'n sprang. Kierkegaard oorbeklemtoon nie een van die stadiums nie en verskraal ook nie die religie tot 'n mistiese gevoel of ondervinding nie. Moontlike vorrns van lewe word aan die leser voorgehou met 'n duidelike uitnodiging aan die leser om deel te neem. Kierkegaard plaas die mens as ·enkeling terug in die filosofie. Die hoogste wat die mens kan bereik is om "voor God" te wees. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 1977. / gm2014 / Anthropology and Archaeology / unrestricted

Thesis advisor: Andrew Prevot / Decisions: Political Theology and the Challenges of Postmodernity, argues that political theologies are both partially responsible for and responsive to the intrinsically related problems of racism, capitalism, and essentialist metaphysical thinking. Relying on dialectical materialist and post-structuralist theories, Decisions critically engages a wide range of classical and contemporary figures such as Karl Marx, Søren Kierkegaard, Carl Schmitt, Jacques Derrida, James Cone, Chantal Mouffe, Cornel West, Martin Hågglund, and Karl ove Knausgaard. These engagements are attentive to not only the particular theoretical and political decisions any one thinker makes, but also to the ways in which “decision” is itself understood as an important theoretical and political category. Although “decisionism” has become a popular motif in contemporary political theology, the concept remains under theorized. This is unfortunate, because contemporary ontological racisms and exploitative market structures aim to prevent political decisions: ontological racism decides in advance the essential “racial” characteristics of a person and market economies ensure that the distribution of goods is “decided” by the so- called invisible hand of the market. Moreover, both racisms and capitalism can imply an underlying modern metaphysics of substance and essence. While the postmodern critique of metaphysics is often read as a challenge to religion, this reading suggests that postmodernity presents an opportunity for the reemergence of an historical and politically engaged form of religion. Such an emancipatory and non-metaphysical approach can be found throughout various religious traditions, but is especially prominent amongst black political theologians working out of the Christian tradition. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

Demanding Taxation, disciplining, and even at times requiring the sacrifice of life, the State is undoubtedly one of the most influential and important structures within a subject's existence. Nonetheless, despite these great demands, very few subjects actually choose or construct the State they inhabit. On the contrary subjects rather find themselves born into these great structures which transcend their existence. Consequently understanding how subjects come to learn about, and relate to, these great structures they are thrown into is vital for both an understanding of politics and the human condition generally. In this thesis I will explore an alternative approach to investigating the subject and State relationship: The ‘Subjective approach'. Inspired by the thought of Danish Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, the aim of this approach will be to explore the encounters that the subject has with the State, what perception of the State is given to subjects in these encounters, and how the relationship between subject and State grows out of such encounters. The aim of this thesis is therefore to provide prolegomena to such an approach. I shall aim to outline why such an approach should be considered for investigating subject and State relations, and explore how one may begin articulating such an approach.

This study examines the criticism of Christianity expressed by Friedrich Nietzsche and Soren Kierkegaard, particularly in relation to the question of moral action. These author's work were both published in the 19th Century. To analyze their written works, a hermeneutic approach is assumed. The Concepts pf slave morality, nihilism, and the disticntion between Christendom and Christianity are emphasized in the previous research and are here used analytically to contrast the author's works. The results of the study reveals both clear similarities and differences between Nietzsche and Kierkegaard's thought. The main difference lies in their views on the Church as an institutional doctrine and the impact of western moral principles on divine and human reason. The main similaraity is the emphasis both authors place on the individual's free will. The analysis also highlights the problematic nature of prevailing principles and the Christian image of God in the author's works. The concept of free will is seen as most central to their arguments, partilcarly in relation to wheter mankind's deire for the Christian God is rational or not. In conclusion to the result, the study also discusses the implications pf the study for teaching about philosophy of religion in the classroom. Therefore, a discussion regarding didactics is held to suggest how this subject matter could be utilized in a teaching context, espacially to encourage critical thinking and reflection.