Kierkegaard: A Very Short Introduction: 58 (Very Short Introductions)

by PatrickGardiner (Author)

• New

  Illustrated
  2002

  $10.69

  Soren Kierkegaard (1813-55), one of the most original thinkers of the nineteenth century, wrote widely on religious, psychological, and literary themes. This book shows how Kierkegaard developed his views in emphatic opposition to prevailing opinions. It describes his reaction to the ethical and religious theories of Kant and Hegel, and it also contrasts his position with doctrines advanced by men like Feuerbach and Marx. Kierkegaard's seminal diagnosis of the human condition, which emphasizes the significance of individual choice, has arguably been his most striking philosophical legacy, particularly for the growth of existentialism. Both that and his arresting but paradoxical conception of religious belief are critically discussed, and Patrick Gardiner concludes this lucid introduction by showing how Kierkegaard has influenced contemporary thought. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

• Used

  Paperback
  1988

  $3.24

  Rather than attempting to cover all the different aspects of Soren Kierkegaard's thought, which the author suggests has been viewed too narrowly in the past solely in connection with the development of existentialist philosophy in this century, Gardiner focuses attention chiefly on those areas that were most closely related to the intellectual and cultural preoccupations of the period to which he belonged. He aims to show how Kierkegaard developed his ideas in conscious opposition to prevailing opinion, concentrating particularly on the relation of thought to existence, which Kierkegaard felt had been fundamentally misconceived by his predecessors. Gardiner has tried to trace the considerations that led him to develop his own positions concerning the status of ethics and religion, while also indicating some of the ways in which he exercised influence upon the subsequent history of ideas. The author also examines Kierkegaard's thoughts in the light of the doctrines on society that his contemporaries Marx and Feuerbach, among others, were developing. Finally he assesses how original and how important Kierkegaard's ideas were and how profoundly they have influenced modern ways of thinking.