Faith In Dreams: Kierkegaard's Philosophy For The Aspirational

have faith in your dreams kierkegaard

Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher who lived from 1813 to 1855. Kierkegaard is known for his work in the philosophy of religion, and his ideas continue to be influential today. One of his most famous concepts is the leap of faith, which is often misunderstood as advocating for blind or irrational belief. However, Kierkegaard argued that faith is not just a matter of intellectual assent to doctrines, but a deeply rooted trust that engages the whole person, including their passions and emotions. For Kierkegaard, faith is the highest passion in a human being, and it requires a decision and choice to entrust one's life to God.

Characteristics Values
Faith is the highest passion in a human being N/A
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards N/A
To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself N/A
Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced N/A
Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom N/A
Boredom is the root of all evil - the despairing refusal to be oneself N/A
The greatest hazard of all, losing one's self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all N/A

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Kierkegaard's philosophy on faith and the intellectual life

Kierkegaard's Concept of Faith

For Kierkegaard, faith is not merely intellectual assent to a set of doctrines or beliefs. Instead, it is a passionate commitment to a way of life centred on a relationship with God. This relationship is deeply personal and involves a willingness to follow God's commands, even when they seem absurd or contrary to ethical norms. Faith, for Kierkegaard, is a "passion" that involves the whole person—their emotions, will, and actions. It is not just a matter of believing certain propositions but of living them out in one's daily life.

The Role of the Individual

Kierkegaard emphasises the importance of the individual in his philosophy. He critiques the idea of "Christendom" or "objective" Christianity, where faith is reduced to adherence to a set of external norms and practices. Instead, he argues that faith is a deeply personal and subjective experience, and each individual must make their own journey of faith. This journey involves a process of self-discovery and self-understanding, where one confronts their own limitations and finitude.

The Paradox of Faith

Kierkegaard often speaks of faith in terms of paradox and absurdity. He sees the Christian message of God becoming human as a paradox, as it challenges our finite understanding of the infinite. Faith, for Kierkegaard, involves embracing this paradox and trusting in God despite our inability to fully comprehend it. This trust is not based on rational proofs but on a passionate commitment to follow Christ.

The Ethical and the Religious

Kierkegaard distinguishes between the ethical and the religious stages of existence. The ethical stage involves a commitment to moral norms and duties, while the religious stage goes beyond this to a relationship with the absolute, or God. The ethical stage is necessary but not sufficient for true faith. It is only through the religious stage that one fully embraces the paradox and absurdity of faith.

The Knight of Faith

Kierkegaard introduces the concept of the "knight of faith" in his work, "Fear and Trembling". The knight of faith is someone who embodies a deep trust in God and is willing to follow God's commands, even when they seem to contradict ethical norms. Abraham, in the Bible, is often seen as the prototypical knight of faith, as he was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac at God's command.

The Role of Love

For Kierkegaard, love is central to both the ethical and the religious stages. In the ethical stage, love involves commitment and duty, while in the religious stage, it involves a passionate devotion to God and one's neighbour. Love, for Kierkegaard, is not just a feeling but a way of life that shapes one's actions and relationships.

Despair and Anxiety

Kierkegaard sees despair and anxiety as central to the human condition. Despair arises from our inability to fully realise our ideals and our limitations as finite beings. Anxiety, on the other hand, is the "dizziness of freedom", where we recognise our freedom to choose and the weight of our choices.

Influence and Legacy

Kierkegaard's philosophy has had a significant influence on existentialism, phenomenology, and postmodernism. His emphasis on the individual, subjectivity, and the passionate commitment of faith has resonated with many thinkers and continues to shape philosophical and theological discourse.

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Kierkegaard's views on dreaming and sleep

However, Kierkegaard also recognised the importance of being awakened from sleep, both physically and metaphorically. He asks which is more difficult: to awaken one who sleeps or one who, awake, dreams that they are awake? This question highlights the challenge of distinguishing between the sleeping and waking states, and the potential need to be stirred from complacency or illusion.

Kierkegaard saw truth as something that requires struggle and cannot be simply dreamed about or slept through. He believed that one must be tried, do battle, and suffer to acquire truth. This view is reflected in his concept of the double movement of faith, which involves first making the movement of infinite resignation and then regaining the finite.

Furthermore, Kierkegaard's views on sleep and dreaming are connected to his ideas about existence and self-realisation. He saw sleep as a form of genius because it allows for the imagination to roam free, unbound by the limitations of wakefulness. This freedom can be a source of creativity and self-discovery.

Overall, Kierkegaard's thoughts on dreaming and sleep are complex and multifaceted, reflecting his broader philosophical and theological concerns.

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Kierkegaard's views on truth and truthfulness

Søren Kierkegaard was a 19th-century Danish philosopher who is often labelled as the "Father of Existentialism". Kierkegaard's philosophy has been a major influence in the development of 20th-century philosophy, especially existentialism and postmodernism. Kierkegaard's philosophy is centred around the idea of subjectivity, which has to do with the way people relate themselves to (objective) truths. In his work, Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments, he argues that "subjectivity is truth" and "truth is subjectivity".

Kierkegaard conveys that, essentially, truth is not just a matter of discovering objective facts. While objective facts are important, there is a second and more crucial element of truth, which involves how one relates oneself to those matters of fact. Since how one acts is, from the ethical perspective, more important than any matter of fact, truth is to be found in subjectivity rather than objectivity.

Kierkegaard's philosophy also involves the idea of inwardness, which is the process of becoming a self. Kierkegaard believes that the task of becoming a self requires inwardness or subjectivity, and that merely amassing objective knowledge or taking a detached perspective on intellectual questions by itself leads one away from selfhood. Kierkegaard thinks that the disengaged, theoretical standpoint on life will necessarily overlook crucial existential problems, since these only properly come into view from a first-person perspective.

Kierkegaard's philosophy also involves the idea of faith. In his work, Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard explores the nature of faith through an investigation of the biblical story of Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac on God's command. Abraham is seen as embodying a life of faith that cannot be reduced to Sittlichkeit, for reasons that we shall see in the next section. Kierkegaard sees faith as a passion, and as something that cannot be directly or "immediately" communicated to others. Understanding such truths requires a "double reflection". Since they are truths that pertain essentially to existence or how life should be lived, it is possible to have a purely verbal or conceptual understanding of such truths that is nonetheless a misunderstanding. To successfully grasp such communications, the recipient must not only understand the sentences communicated, but must think through what it would mean to embody or "reduplicate" those ideals in existence.

Kierkegaard's philosophy also involves the idea of anxiety, which is the state when one becomes truly aware of one's potential through the experience of dread. Kierkegaard's author, Vigilius Haufniensis, uses the example of a man standing on the edge of a tall building or cliff. From this height, he can see all the possibilities of life. He's reflecting on what he could become if he only threw himself into the power of his own choice. As long as he stands there, he stands at the crossroads of life, unable to make a decision and live within its boundaries. The mere fact that one has the possibility and freedom to do something, even the most terrifying of possibilities, triggers immense feelings of dread.

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Kierkegaard's views on love

In "Works of Love", Kierkegaard makes a stark distinction between preferential love (erotic love and friendship) and non-preferential love (neighbour-love). Sharon Krishek, in her book "Kierkegaard on Faith and Love", argues that this distinction creates an irresolvable tension within "Works of Love", as preferential love is deemed selfish and, therefore, inconsistent with Kierkegaard's appreciation of preferential love. Krishek suggests that Kierkegaard's failure to acknowledge the possibility of unselfish preferential love results in a flawed account of romantic love.

In conclusion, while Kierkegaard's personal life may have been devoid of lasting romantic love, his philosophical writings and quotes reveal a deep interest in and complex understanding of the nature of love.

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Kierkegaard's views on the self

Kierkegaard saw the self as an achievement or a goal to strive for, rather than as a fixed metaphysical substance. He believed that the self must become what it is meant to be, and that this process of becoming involves active self-definition. This idea is similar to existentialist thought, which posits self-creation or self-shaping. However, Kierkegaard also emphasised the importance of self-acceptance and recognising the limitations and facts of one's biology and history.

For Kierkegaard, the self is something that must be integrated and synthesised. He saw humans as spiritual beings, and this spiritual aspect involves a process of becoming that is never truly completed. The self, therefore, is an unfinished project, a synthesis of contrasting fundamental characteristics.

According to Kierkegaard, the self cannot be understood in isolation. It always exists in relation to others and to the world. This is where the idea of "stages" or "spheres" of existence comes into play. He identified three main spheres: the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious. These represent different ways of understanding and living human life, and they are not necessarily sequential or hierarchical. The aesthetic sphere, for example, can be seen as a rival to the ethical and religious spheres, rather than a lower or earlier stage.

The ethical sphere, as described by Kierkegaard, involves commitment, social roles, and relationships. It is about choosing and taking responsibility for the kind of individual one wants to become. This sphere highlights the importance of love and the works of love in shaping the self.

The religious sphere, for Kierkegaard, is where genuine religious faith and inwardness are found. It is a sphere of infinite resignation and faith, where one recognises their dependence on God and trusts in divine promises.

In summary, Kierkegaard's views on the self are complex and multifaceted. He saw the self as a dynamic and relational entity, always in the process of becoming and synthesising its contrasting aspects. The self exists in relation to others and the world, and it can be understood through the lenses of different spheres or stages of existence.

Frequently asked questions

This phrase is often misattributed to the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard but is actually a quote from the author Paulo Coelho.

Coelho believes in the power of positive thinking and taking risks to follow one's dreams.

Kierkegaard talks about the importance of having "faith" in one's own potential and the courage to pursue one's passions, even in the face of adversity.

Kierkegaard's philosophy often revolves around the idea of taking leaps of faith and embracing the unknown, which ties into the idea of having faith in one's dreams and taking risks to achieve them.

It encourages individuals to believe in themselves and their aspirations, even if they seem far-fetched or difficult to achieve. It promotes a mindset of perseverance and courage in the pursuit of personal goals and dreams.

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