PHILOSOPHY - Soren Kierkegaard

Søren Kierkegaard was a brilliant, gloomy, anxiety-ridden, often hilarious Danish 19th century philosopher.

The author of 22 books, of which 3 continue to make his name.

He was born in an immensely wealthy family in Copenhagen in 1813, the youngest of 7 children.

Death was around him constantly from a young age, and was to obsess him throughout his career.

It is, in a sense, his only theme.

Not only was he extremely physically frail,

by the time he was 22, all his siblings had died except for he and a brother.

It drove him to furious production of books over 15 years.

On a single day in 1843 he published no less than 3 works.

He wasn't writing for the money; he was working to save himself, and, he thought, humanity.

As it happened, he made it to the age of 42, then died of an excruciating spinal disease.

In "Either/Or" and "Fear and Trembling", what Kierkegaard wants to do above all

is wake up and give up our cozy sentimental illusions.

He systematically attacks the pillars of modern life: our faith in family, our trust in work, our attachment to love,

and our general sense that life has purpose and meaning.

His enemies were the smug in all their guises,

particularly, the prosperous Danish haute bourgeoisie, and the members of the established Danish church.