
Søren Kierkegaard's 'Fear and Trembling' (1843) is a philosophical work exploring the biblical story of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son Isaac. Through this story, Kierkegaard attempts to redefine faith and problematize simplistic interpretations of Christianity. He argues that faith is a highly isolating, anxiety-ridden and rationally absurd state, where the individual transcends society and universal moral law.
Kierkegaard's narrator, Johannes de Silentio, presents four alternate Abrahams, all prepared to follow God's command but ultimately without faith. Silentio praises Abraham's faith, highlighting his belief that Isaac will survive the ordeal. This faith, according to Kierkegaard, is a paradox, where the individual stands in a higher relationship to the absolute than the universal. It is a state that cannot be explained or understood through ethical or ideological thinking, but only through a direct relationship with God.
Kierkegaard's work is a meditation on the nature of religious faith, exploring the tension between the ethical and the religious, and how this tension produces anxiety.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Faith | A highly isolating, anxiety-ridden, and rationally absurd state |
Knight of faith | An eternally blessed person who has made the "leap of faith" |
Teleological suspension of the ethical | Putting ethical concerns on the back burner because of faith in the righteousness of God's will |
Absolute duty to God | The individual determines their relationship with the universal through their relationship with God |
Ethics | A widely accepted code of moral behaviour and conduct |
What You'll Learn
Kierkegaard's pseudonymous author
Silentio identifies faith as a paradox, where an individual transcends the universal without sinning. He asserts that knights of faith like Abraham exist in pure isolation and cannot explain themselves or their actions to others. Their relationship with God determines their relationship with the universal, rather than the other way around. This faith is an incommunicable paradox known only to the individual and God.
Silentio presents four alternate Abrahams to illustrate his points. These Abrahams are prepared to follow God's command but are considered without faith. Silentio then praises Abraham's qualities and recounts his life, emphasising his faith and infinite resignation.
Silentio engages with three thought experiments to demonstrate how Abraham's actions correspond to the religious category of faith:
- Is there a Teleological Suspension of the Ethical?
- Is there an Absolute Duty to God?
- Was it Ethically Defensible for Abraham to Conceal His Undertaking?
Silentio identifies the ethical with the universal and asserts that faith allows individuals to transcend the universal. He compares Abraham with tragic heroes like Agamemnon, Jephthah, and Brutus, who had to sacrifice their offspring but are not considered knights of faith.
Silentio's interpretation of the story of Abraham and Isaac highlights the tension between ethics and religion, resulting in anxiety. He argues that Abraham's faith allowed him to make an unethical decision because he had faith that God would not allow an unethical outcome. This demonstrates strong faith as Abraham's faith was tested by God, and he passed the test.
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The nature of religious faith
Søren Kierkegaard's 'Fear and Trembling' is a philosophical work that explores the nature of religious faith through an examination of the biblical story of Abraham and the near-sacrifice of Isaac. In this text, Kierkegaard attempts to understand Abraham's psychological state during his journey to Moriah and his willingness to obey God's command to kill his son.
Kierkegaard's concept of faith is deeply rooted in his understanding of the individual's subjective experience and personal relationship with God. He challenges simplistic and uncritical interpretations of Christianity, emphasizing the importance of a lived and authentic faith. Faith, for Kierkegaard, is not merely a gentle piety within a cultural context, but a highly isolating, anxiety-ridden, and rationally absurd experience.
In 'Fear and Trembling', Kierkegaard introduces the idea of a "teleological suspension of the ethical", where Abraham's faith transcends universal ethical norms. Abraham's actions cannot be understood through worldly ideological and ethical thinking, leading to the conclusion that there must be something transcendent. Faith, as described by Kierkegaard, is a paradox—an individual transcends the universal without sinning. It is a personal and incommunicable paradox known only to the individual and God.
Kierkegaard's understanding of faith also highlights the tension between ethics and religion. He argues that ethics are important for society but that only individuals can approach God through faith. This faith is not blind obedience but a trusting relationship with God, where the individual believes in and follows God's will, even when it contradicts societal ethical norms.
In conclusion, Kierkegaard's exploration of the nature of religious faith in 'Fear and Trembling' reveals a complex and deeply personal concept. It involves a direct relationship with God, transcending universal ethics, and embracing the absurd. This faith is isolating and anxiety-inducing but ultimately leads to a genuine connection with the divine.
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The ethical and the religious
Søren Kierkegaard's philosophical work, 'Fear and Trembling', is an exploration of the biblical story of Abraham's near sacrifice of his son Isaac. In this work, Kierkegaard attempts to problematize what he saw as overly simplistic and uncritical interpretations of Christianity. He does so by examining the ethical and religious implications of Abraham's actions.
Kierkegaard's narrator, Johannes de Silentio, argues that the story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son has long been exalted as the epitome of faith. However, he contends that the true meaning of faith has been lost on Christian readers. Kierkegaard, through Silentio, offers a more complex and robust concept of faith.
In 'Fear and Trembling', Kierkegaard distinguishes between faith and infinite resignation. Infinite resignation is the capacity and willingness to give up what one holds dearest, while faith is confidence or trust in God despite empirical evidence to the contrary. Silentio argues that Abraham's faith was not one of infinite resignation, but rather, a belief that God would not allow an unethical outcome.
According to Kierkegaard, the ethical is the universal, applying to everyone at all times. It is the moral code that guides our actions and is the highest guiding principle for humans. However, he argues that there is a higher plane, the religious, which transcends the ethical. This religious plane is accessible only through faith and a direct relationship with God.
Kierkegaard's concept of the "teleological suspension of the ethical" is central to his argument. It refers to the idea that ethical concerns can be put on hold or suspended in favour of a higher purpose or end. In the case of Abraham, he suspends the ethical duty not to kill his son because he has faith that God will not allow an unethical outcome. This tension between the ethical and the religious causes anxiety, which Kierkegaard sees as a sign of a person pursuing the correct relationship with God.
Kierkegaard's understanding of faith is that it is a highly personal, isolating, anxiety-ridden, and rationally absurd experience. It is a "leap of faith", where one must blindly accept God's will over universal ethical obligations. This conception of faith is a fundamental tenet of Christian existentialism, which emphasizes the individual's subjective experience, freedom, and personal responsibility in their relationship with God.
In conclusion, Kierkegaard's exploration of the ethical and the religious in 'Fear and Trembling' highlights the complexity of faith. He argues that faith transcends universal ethics and involves a direct relationship with God, which can lead to actions that appear unethical from an outside perspective. This tension between the ethical and the religious is at the heart of Kierkegaard's understanding of faith and the human relationship with God.
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Faith and resignation
Søren Kierkegaard's *Fear and Trembling* (1843) is a philosophical work that explores the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, specifically the ethical and religious implications of God's command to sacrifice Isaac. In the text, Kierkegaard, through the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio, attempts to understand Abraham's internal state during his journey to Moriah and to demonstrate that Abraham's actions cannot be understood through worldly ideological and ethical thinking. Instead, Kierkegaard argues that Abraham can only be understood through the category of faith.
Silentio presents four alternate versions of Abraham in the "Exordium" section of the text, each of whom is prepared to obey God's command to sacrifice Isaac but is considered to be without faith. These alternate Abrahams represent different ways of understanding faith and highlight the complexity of the concept.
In the "Eulogy on Abraham," Silentio praises Abraham's qualities and recounts his life, including the binding of Isaac. Silentio emphasizes that Abraham believes that Isaac will survive the ordeal and is not simply giving him up for dead. This distinction between faith and infinite resignation becomes clear in Silentio's narrative.
The three problems Silentio engages with in the text—the teleological suspension of the ethical, the absolute duty to God, and the ethical defensibility of Abraham's concealment of his undertaking—further explore the relationship between faith and resignation. Silentio argues that faith transcends universal ethical norms and that Abraham's relationship with God is a purely personal virtue that cannot be explained or justified through universal ethical principles.
The tension between faith and resignation is also evident in the distinction Silentio makes between the tragic hero and the knight of faith. The tragic hero, such as Agamemnon, Jephthah, and Brutus, has a higher ethical purpose that justifies their actions, whereas the knight of faith, like Abraham, exists outside of the ethical plane and cannot explain their actions to others.
In conclusion, Kierkegaard's exploration of faith and resignation in *Fear and Trembling* highlights the isolating, anxiety-ridden, and rationally absurd nature of faith. Faith, as portrayed by Kierkegaard, involves a "leap of faith" beyond universal ethical principles and a direct relationship with God that transcends societal norms. Resignation, on the other hand, involves a willingness to give up finite goods and reconcile oneself with that loss.
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Faith as paradox
Søren Kierkegaard's 1843 work 'Fear and Trembling' is a philosophical meditation on the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, specifically Genesis 22, in which God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son. Kierkegaard, writing under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio, explores the nature of religious faith and the tension between the ethical and the religious.
Faith, for Kierkegaard, is a paradox. In the text, he defines faith as "paradox" and "the particular is higher than the universal". This paradox is embodied in the figure of Abraham, who, in his willingness to kill Isaac, offends against "the universal" in four ways:
- He makes an exception to what universality demands (one ought not to kill one's child).
- This amounts to the "paradox" that the "single individual" (Abraham) stands higher than the universal.
- Abraham's private relationship with God is prioritised over his duties as a social creature.
- Abraham's actions cannot be explained in publicly available, shareable language.
This paradox of faith, according to Kierkegaard, is incommunicable and known only to the individual and God. It is a "purely personal virtue". Faith, therefore, transcends ethical thinking and cannot be understood through worldly ideological and ethical frameworks. It is a category that must be understood in itself and on its own terms.
The paradox of faith is further highlighted in Kierkegaard's distinction between the tragic hero and the knight of faith. The tragic hero, such as Agamemnon, Jephthah, and Brutus, transcends ethical norms for a higher, understandable ethical purpose. Their actions can be explained and justified through recourse to universal ethical principles. In contrast, the knight of faith, like Abraham, has no purpose other than his own, and his purpose is identified with God's purpose. The knight of faith exists in pure isolation and cannot explain their actions to others. If they were to do so, it would constitute "temptation" and be a sin, as their actions would then breach universal injunctions.
The paradox of faith, then, lies in the idea that the individual, in their relationship with God, transcends the universal (the ethical) without sinning. It is a tension between the particular and the universal, the finite and the infinite, that characterises the knight of faith.
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Frequently asked questions
Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling is about the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, and what this story tells us about the nature of religious faith.
God tells Abraham to kill his son, Isaac. Abraham agrees to do so, but at the last second, God stops him and lets him sacrifice a ram instead.
Kierkegaard uses this story to argue that faith is a highly isolating, anxiety-ridden, and rationally absurd state. He claims that faith is a "teleological suspension of the ethical", meaning that it involves putting ethical concerns on the back burner in favour of religious ones.
Kierkegaard argues that ethical rules are established to promote the welfare of large groups of people. However, sometimes these rules harm people, and following a rule may help one person but harm ten. He claims that faith in God answers the uncertainty of ethical rules because it removes the burden of prediction.
Kierkegaard says that to believe something is to be assured of it, whereas to have faith requires the possibility that you will be proven wrong.