The Seducer's Diary

by Søren Kierkegaard, S.R. Travers (Translator)

First published in 1843 as part of Either Or, The Seducer’s Diary by Søren Kierkegaard, also translated as Diary of a Seducer, is a focused study of desire, manipulation, aesthetic individualism and the psychology of seduction. The narrative presents Johannes, an observer who records his pursuit of Cordelia with deliberate calculation and careful analysis. Readers of existentialism, psychological fiction, moral philosophy and nineteenth century European literature will find this text central to Kierkegaard’s exploration of the aesthetic life.

The work examines the structure of romantic pursuit, the shaping of identity through desire, the role of language in emotional strategy and the hollowness that follows reflective pleasure. Johannes becomes an example of aesthetic detachment, revealing how fascination is maintained through distance, how commitment is evaded through reflection and how desire can become a controlled performance. The text is relevant to readers interested in character psychology, self creation, moral ambiguity, manipulation and the early formation of existential thought.

This edition is suited to readers studying Kierkegaard’s authorship, existential literature, psychological analysis, nineteenth century philosophy and the wider debate on authenticity and desire. Now available in Kindle, Paperback and Hardback, it offers a reliable format range for close reading, study and long term reference.

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2025

About the author

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a prolific 19th century Danish philosopher and theologian. Kierkegaard strongly criticised both the Hegelianism of his time and what he saw as the empty formalities of the Church of Denmark. Much of his work deals with religious themes such as faith in God, the institution of the Christian Church, Christian ethics and theology, and the emotions and feelings of individuals when faced with life choices. His early work was written under various pseudonyms who present their own distinctive viewpoints in a complex dialogue.

Kierkegaard left the task of discovering the meaning of his works to the reader, because "the task must be made difficult, for only the difficult inspires the noble-hearted". Scholars have interpreted Kierkegaard variously as an existentialist, neo-orthodoxist, postmodernist, humanist, and individualist.

Crossing the boundaries of philosophy, theology, psychology, and literature, he is an influential figure in contemporary thought.