Fear and Trembling (Penguin Great Ideas)
by Søren Kierkegaard
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Read in June, 2003
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Read in January, 2004
recommends it for:
pretentious atheists (i.e., my generation)
dear reader,
you don't even read this stuff anymore, do you?! i wouldn't if i were you! but that's the difference between me and you! you have no life, are pathetic, sit in front of your computer all day stalking your peers on various social networking sites, while i go on constantly mocking your efforts through half jest and utter disregard for the values you hold dear to your heart!
alas, perhaps the joke is on me?!
haha, boy do i get ahead of myself sometimes! silly me! yes, that is ...more
you don't even read this stuff anymore, do you?! i wouldn't if i were you! but that's the difference between me and you! you have no life, are pathetic, sit in front of your computer all day stalking your peers on various social networking sites, while i go on constantly mocking your efforts through half jest and utter disregard for the values you hold dear to your heart!
alas, perhaps the joke is on me?!
haha, boy do i get ahead of myself sometimes! silly me! yes, that is ...more
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Read in January, 2002
I first read this piece in a philosophy class devoted entirely to Kierkegaard. At the time I wasn't overly enthralled with his work. I think I was partly turned off by the know it all sophomore in the graduate level class who insisted on being smack dab in the middle and dominating every conversation.
In the years since, however, after reading other existentialist authors, and seeing K's influence on them, I've gone back to some of his more accessible works. I especially like that most o...more
In the years since, however, after reading other existentialist authors, and seeing K's influence on them, I've gone back to some of his more accessible works. I especially like that most o...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
Anyone Fascinated by Faith/Religion
Fear and Trembling is a powerful work of philosophy and literature. Kierkegaard, as Johannes de Silentio, uses Abraham, specifically the story of he and Isaac, to describe, but not explain, the concept of faith.
Why no explanation? Because Kierkegaard (or Johannes, as it were), candidly admits that he doesn't fully understand faith. He knows that Abraham was the perfect example of faith, and speaks of his willingness to sacrifice Isaac with a mixture of admiration and horror, acknowledging...more
Why no explanation? Because Kierkegaard (or Johannes, as it were), candidly admits that he doesn't fully understand faith. He knows that Abraham was the perfect example of faith, and speaks of his willingness to sacrifice Isaac with a mixture of admiration and horror, acknowledging...more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
students of christian doctrine, philosophy students, ethics students
"on the strength of the absurd"
I felt Kierkegaard's genius in this book was his emphasis on the highest level of human passion / ability : faith, which must move against the requirements of reality in order to make a leap into the absurd. In the case of Abraham, Abraham moved trusted the absurd, that is, he was faithful because he both believed that God required him to sacrifice his only "beloved son" (to make reference to Jesus), but at the same time, that God would giv...more
I felt Kierkegaard's genius in this book was his emphasis on the highest level of human passion / ability : faith, which must move against the requirements of reality in order to make a leap into the absurd. In the case of Abraham, Abraham moved trusted the absurd, that is, he was faithful because he both believed that God required him to sacrifice his only "beloved son" (to make reference to Jesus), but at the same time, that God would giv...more
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
Anyone interested in the individual
Wow. What do I say about Fear and Trembling? The ideas and "problemas" that Kierkegaard conceives of in this book are incredibly innovative. They spring out of an extreme passion and love of the idea of "faith". In this book Kierkegaard uses the ultimate paradigm of faith, the biblical story of Abraham sacrificing his son Issac, as a way to explore the dimensions of faith and its role for the individual. After reinventing the story in a few different nuanced ways, Kierkegaard...more
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This is a philosophical treatise on faith through analyzing the narrative of Abraham and Isaac, particularly God's request of Isaac's sacrifice. This was one of the most enjoyable books of philosophy I have ever read, but a part of me wonders if I'm simply more open to reading philosophy now than I have been in the past. Certainly there was some frustratingly circular writing even in this. Most of the book is fairly approachable in its language and ideas, though. The main thought throughout ...more
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
abraham
Kierkegaard begins by re-telling the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac. God commands Abraham to murder his own son, therefore Abraham must suspend right and wrong, for a higher purpose, God's authority.
Kierkegaard, the father of Christian existentialism, admits this problem has kept him up at night rolling around in bed, and it show's through in his writing. He is very passionate about the subject, and he identifies a new kind of knowledge that that the 'knight of faith' is privy to. These...more
Kierkegaard, the father of Christian existentialism, admits this problem has kept him up at night rolling around in bed, and it show's through in his writing. He is very passionate about the subject, and he identifies a new kind of knowledge that that the 'knight of faith' is privy to. These...more
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I honestly do realize how pretentious it is to write a review of this book. But it is absolutely one of the best books I have ever written, and I would feel that way even had I not taken a course on the author in college.
In "Fear and Trembling" Kierkegaard examines the nature of faith contrasted with resignation. He specifically uses the example of Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice Isaac. What the author creates is one of the most thought-provoking treatise ever written o...more
In "Fear and Trembling" Kierkegaard examines the nature of faith contrasted with resignation. He specifically uses the example of Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice Isaac. What the author creates is one of the most thought-provoking treatise ever written o...more
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Kierkegaard is one of my favorite philosophers of all time. He is fascinating and entertaining with his ideas; He paints a beautiful and powerful picture that draws the reader into a solid understanding of his meaning. In this book, Keirkegaard uses the story (or rather the character of Abraham) of Abraham's journey to the mountain to sacrifice Isaac. What I find to be most fascinating about this book, is Keirkegaard's IDEA of what made Abraham great: Abraham is great because of what he SUFFE...more
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Read in January, 1998
Kierkegaard is an intense read, but profound. I fell in love with him when I was going through a reorganization of my faith. In this book he presents the idea of the "knight of faith" -- the one who stands alone in direct relation to God, beyond the safety of a creed or institution. He uses Abraham as the ultimate example of the knight of faith. This is theistic existentialism -- and existential angst -- at its most sublime. Although reading Kierkegaard is difficult at times, there are...more
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so far so good
I actually started imagining a play/short film the moment I started reading. will i write it? time will tell.
Now that I've read it I can only say I think it's ok. There are good ideas in the novel, definately important in changing the way people traditionally approach religious philosophy, however I really don't agree with a lot of the things that Soren takes to be obvious truths. I respect a writer that tries to find truth based on observations, that's how I opperate. A...more
I actually started imagining a play/short film the moment I started reading. will i write it? time will tell.
Now that I've read it I can only say I think it's ok. There are good ideas in the novel, definately important in changing the way people traditionally approach religious philosophy, however I really don't agree with a lot of the things that Soren takes to be obvious truths. I respect a writer that tries to find truth based on observations, that's how I opperate. A...more
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I was going to write that I still come back to this book, even ten years after reading it for the first time. But that's not quite true. What is true is that this book has never really left me; it has worked itself into my psyche and become an automatic philosophical reference point for my life.
Kierkegaard's discussion of faith versus resignation is an exhileration to read. His unfolding of the concept of the absurd in the universe is sublime. Everyone should dive into this work, grapple with...more
Kierkegaard's discussion of faith versus resignation is an exhileration to read. His unfolding of the concept of the absurd in the universe is sublime. Everyone should dive into this work, grapple with...more
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Read in January, 1983
Kierkegaard's development of absurdity in this monograph is an explicit description of faith. Faith is not belief, but obedience. Belief costs little and serves as a filter for one's world view, but the faith illustrated by Abraham is a costly faith.
The book fits perfectly into his philosophical construct; the three modes of existence ethical, aesthetic, and religious, respectively, are brought out in his references to mythic characters and the individual's ultimate need for meaning, which...more
The book fits perfectly into his philosophical construct; the three modes of existence ethical, aesthetic, and religious, respectively, are brought out in his references to mythic characters and the individual's ultimate need for meaning, which...more
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Read in October, 1999
recommends it for:
the faithful, those who appreciate faith, and those who dismiss it
my faith history definitely informs my love of this book, and as it was not presented to me with any pretense of objectivity, i also won't recommend it from such a perspective.
that said, whenever i am frustrated by the want of objectivity about or appreciation for the varying viewpoints, values, and motives associated with faith, i am inclined to wish that the object of my disappointment or annoyance might have read this book. it could not but improve anyone's rational slant on faith.
that said, whenever i am frustrated by the want of objectivity about or appreciation for the varying viewpoints, values, and motives associated with faith, i am inclined to wish that the object of my disappointment or annoyance might have read this book. it could not but improve anyone's rational slant on faith.
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I loved this book, to say the least, and I have no doubt that it will open up more to me each time I read it in the future.
Kierkegaard had a soul that was truly wide-awake, truly alive; and he was so far ahead of his time that he may not have even yet hit his prime.
Clearly, we have to recognize the limits of our faith: we may not be able to make the leap that Abraham did...and if we are capable of it, I don't think we would even know it until faced with the moment of the absurd.
Kierkegaard had a soul that was truly wide-awake, truly alive; and he was so far ahead of his time that he may not have even yet hit his prime.
Clearly, we have to recognize the limits of our faith: we may not be able to make the leap that Abraham did...and if we are capable of it, I don't think we would even know it until faced with the moment of the absurd.
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Read in August, 2007
Fairly compelling and well-written, but it didn't really appeal to me. There were some really great thoughts in the book, but when he talks about faith, the central theme, he sort of just posits that it's the greatest thing a human can aspire to without providing any true justification other than that it's very difficult to attain in any true sense. Definitely a worthwhile read, but my somewhat strong aversion to religion prevented me from taking a ton away from it.
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Read in May, 2008
Interesting, but not quite as striking as Either/Or. It seems that the leap of faith described here is supposed to be a deeply personal, and thus, not an ethical orientation toward life, but it is difficult to understand how this particular personal orientation can have primacy over the ethical. Of course, that difficulty seems to be Kierkegaard's point, but I suppose that beyond not quite understanding it, I'm just not persuaded by what Kierkegaard presents here.
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Read in April, 2008
The first half is fairly brilliant but the second and third problema are so choked with Hegelian or psuedo-Hegelian jargon that the ideas - which didn't seem as impressive, in any event, as those of the first half - are lost.
My utter incomprehension of faith - and disinclination towards rococo-written philosophy - knocks this down a bit. Certainly more important than some of my 4- and 5-stars, but I consider other criteria too.
My utter incomprehension of faith - and disinclination towards rococo-written philosophy - knocks this down a bit. Certainly more important than some of my 4- and 5-stars, but I consider other criteria too.
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Read in January, 1990
Oh, HOW I struggled with this book--but it was a battle worth raging. As a philosophy major in college, I generally had a thousand or more pages to read a week for various classes, but these were probably the most difficult and rewarding pages I ever pushed through on, at least on a religious and philosophical level. I've read and forgotten many a book from those days, but not this one. Never this one.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 4.12 (902 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 4.12 (686 ratings) number of reviews: 84popular shelves
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quote
"If there were no eternal consciousness in a man, if at the bottom of everything there were only a wild ferment, a power that twisting in dark passions produced everything great or inconsequential; if an unfathomable, insatiable emptiness lay hid beneath everything, what would life be but despair?"
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