Philosophical Fragments, Johannes Climacus

Søren Kierkegaard — 1985

The Danish philosopher's influential work, outlining the distinction between Socratic irony and the leap of faith required for Christian belief, argues that freedom, which cannot be understood or proved, is the necessary condition for Christianity. Also includes the unfinished narrative "Johannes Climacus" in which a man sets out to doubt everything - a critique of Cartesian and Hegelian approaches to philosophy.

Reviews

Donald@riversofeurope

Feb 25, 2022

No book has ever made me consider Christianity like this one did. Socrates or Christ - pick one! Those are the only two choices! I'm not sure what to make of the final biographical sketch of "Climacus," but I enjoyed the description of his dad.

Arron Kau@arronkau

Aug 15, 2022

Highlights

aybüke@cescedes

I can stake my own life, I can in all earnestness trifle with my own life—not with another's. I am capable of this, the only thing I am able to do for thought, I who have no learning to offer it, "scarcely enough for the one-drachma course, to say nothing of the big fifty-drachma course" (Cratylus). All I have is my life, which I promptly stake every time a difficulty appears. Then it is easy to dance, for the thought of death is a good dancing partner, my dancing partner. Every human being is too heavy for me, and therefore I plead, per deos obsecro [I swear by the gods]: Let no one invite me, for I do not dance.

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