The Debate about Naturalism

An exchange between philosophers in the New York Times from a few years ago:

Timothy Williamson, "What is Naturalism?"

Alex Rosenberg, "Why I am a Naturalist"

Timothy Williamson, "On Ducking Challenges to Naturalism"

Søren Kierkegaard

Almar Rohbar

PHI 408/Rex

Kierkegaard Presentation

21 September 2015

Life:

Søren Kierkegaard was born in Copenhagen on May 5, 1813.  He was very much influenced by his father Michael Søren who was a respectable and demanding Christian.  Søren had a sickly and frail figure but was very talented and his father’s favorite.  Søren grew up in a household where discussion was very common and which was a meeting place for university professors, prominent clergymen, and writers of the day.  He believed he and his family was cursed, he himself being haunted by a melancholy.  

Works:

Either/Or (1843):  In Søren’s first book he portrays two opposing life views answering the question, “How should I live my life?”  One view is the aesthetic in which the individual completely ignores what goes on around them except those things that concern themselves.  This view is basically hedonism.  In this section of the book such topics are discussed as beauty, seduction, music, and drama.  The other view is the ethical in which the individual focuses their attention on duty and responsibility.  In this section such topics are discussed as moral responsibility, marriage, and critical reflection.  Søren shows that human consciousness progresses from the state of aesthetic into the more mature ethical stage.

Fear and Trembling and Repetition (1843):  Reflects on the religious attitude through the figure of Abraham and his sacrifice of Isaac.  He discusses the psychology of the believer and how to have faith one must accept paradox and take a leap of faith.  

Philosophical Fragments (1844):  Freedom is the necessary condition for Christianity and that freedom cannot be proved.

The Concept of Dread (1844):  Man apprehends his freedom and responsibility in the experience of dread.

Concluding Unscientific Postscript (1845):  Concludes against Hegelian philosophy that it is impossible to understand human existence objectively.  One’s existence must be understood by choosing and living one’s own life.

Conflicts:

Søren often challenged Hegelian philosophy which prioritized rationality in existence.  Søren claimed that existence cannot be explained objectively.  He believed that one requires more than just hard cold facts to hold the truth.  

He used his inheritance to publish his works and at first did not get much of a response from the public.  One popular but known-to-be-tasteless journal called the Corsair had a favorable review of Søren’s works but Søren wrote a letter to the editor saying that in such a journal he would rather be abused than praised.  The editor responded by publishing humiliating cartoons of Søren.  In response he wrote furiously about the press and the public in his journal and also in his book The Present Age (1846).

Søren also had conflicts with the Church because his works were aimed to make the common Christian search within himself and make his relationship with God deeper and more meaningful.  By attempting this he went against many of the Church’s rules and so became in conflict with many people involved with the Church.

Famous Quotes:

"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.”

"Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it."

“Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.”

"There is nothing with which every man is so afraid as getting to know how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming."

Works Cited

"Søren Kierkegaard." Evi. Amazon, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

"Søren Aabye Kierkegaard." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004, JEFFREY KAUFFMAN, "Kierkegaard, Søren Aabye." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed.. 2015, John Bowker, and "Kierkegaard, Søren." World Encyclopedia. 2005. "Søren Aabye Kierkegaard."Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2004. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

"Great Philosophers: Kierkegaard." Great Philosophers: Kierkegaard. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.