Kierkegaard #2 - Complete

Question 1

What does Kierkegaard mean by ‘truth is subjectivity’? Example.

Answer 1

Anything that is true is true for a subject.

Example:
The subjective approach to the truth in relation to God: one would aim to experience a god-like, or absolute aspect of oneself.
- Consider the story of Abraham and Isaac (Abraham’s inward passionate experience)

Question 2

What is Kierkegaards ‘Subjective Truth’?

Answer 2

If only the mode of this relationship is in the truth, the individual is in the truth, even if he should happen to be thus related to what is true.

Question 3

What is Kierkegaards ‘Objective Truth’?

Answer 3

If only the object to which he is related is the truth, the subject is accounted to be in the truth (this pen is red. If it is really red then I am in the truth).

Question 4

What is Kierkegaard’s divine principle?

Answer 4

The act of freedom.

Question 5

Describe the freedom available in the Ethical Lifestyle.

Answer 5

It arises from being committed to a socially-shared set of laws.
Freedom comes from the sense of contribution to the construction of those laws.

Question 6

Describe the freedom available in the Ethical Lifestyle.

Answer 6

It arises from being committed to a socially-shared set of laws.
Freedom comes from the sense of contribution to the construction of those laws.

Question 7

Describe the freedom available in the Religious Lifestyle.

Answer 7

Freedom experienced in making ungrounded choices, with nothing but oneself to rely on.
The experience of freedom as a ‘leap of faith’ that involves anxiety and uncertainty.

Question 8

Describe the freedom available in the Religious Lifestyle.

Answer 8

Freedom experienced in making ungrounded choices, with nothing but oneself to rely on.
The experience of freedom as a ‘leap of faith’.

Question 9

How does Kierkegaard describe the relationship between truth and belief?

Answer 9

If one has NO objective support for one’s beliefs and BELIEVES them wholeheartedly, one is
CLOSER to the TRUTH.

Question 10

What is the best way to become a true Christian, according to Kierkegaard?

Answer 10

By making leaps of faith.

By embodying the divine principle one becomes a jesus-like figure (because God was internalised by Jesus)

Question 11

What is the absolute aspect of ourselves that Kierkegaard is trying to experience?

Answer 11

The EXPERIENCE OF AND ACT OF PURE FREEDOM in making an ungrounded choice.

Question 12

What does the absolute aspect of ourselves that Kierkegaard is trying to experience involve?

Answer 12

This involves UNCERTAINTY, and hence absolute faith.

It involves ANXIETY, since the outcome is unclear.

It involves SELF-DETERMINATION since the choice is not based on any objective reasons.

Question 13

What does Kierkegaard emphasise about experience?

Answer 13

The multi-interpretability.

Question 14

How does Kierkegaard show the multi-interpretability of experience?

Answer 14

By showing a variety of lifestyles and described by a variety of literary styles.

Question 15

What does Kierkegaard imply to be the most profound philosophical expression?

Answer 15

Art, rather than science.

Question 16

What does Judge William criticise?

Answer 16

Kierkegaard’s Aesthetic Lifestyle

Question 17

What does Judge William say about Kierkegaard’s Aesthetic Lifestyle? THREE things.

Answer 17

Life is a masquerade, and for you this is an inexhaustible material for amusement.

No one has succeeded in knowing you, for every revelation is an illusion.

You yourself are nothing.

Question 18

What is a critique of Kierkegaard’s aesthetic lifestyle?

Answer 18

Life of despair.

Meaningless in a world that is always changing - inconsistent.

Masquerade - a joke.

You’re unknown.

Facade/mask.

No sense of real self.

Question 19

What is a critique of Kierkegaard’s Ethical lifestyle?

Answer 19

No sufficient sense of personal depth.

May want a different way to the search for meaning.

Question 20

A criticism of the way Kierkegaard present’s himself.

Answer 20

Expresses himself in an aesthetic, literary way - wears many masks.

BUT criticises the Aesthetic Lifestyle.

Question 21

What is a critique of Kierkegaard’s advocacy of the religious lifestyle?

Answer 21

Promotes religious lifestyle.

YET, it is:

• Extremely individualistic.
• Requires a disregard for reason and objective evidence.

Question 22

What is the freed versus reason argument? (Kierkegaard)

Answer 22

One can question the extent t which absolute freedom (truth is subjectivity) is, more important as a guide to life than reason (truth and objectivity).