Kierkegaard: A Guide for the Perplexed

Guides for the Perplexed

by Clare Carlisle

Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to fathom, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material. Soren Kierkegaard was the progenitor of existentialism, as well as a major literary figure and philosopher of ethics and religion. As such, he is a key figure in modern Western philosophy, one whose poetic, though complex, works - including the seminal Fear and Trembling - require close and careful study. A Guide for the Perplexed offers a cogent, comprehensive and authoritative account of Kierkegaard's philosophy, ideal for students and readers coming to his work for the first time and who want to reach a full and detailed understanding of this major thinker and writer. The book explores the relationship - particularly important in Kierkegaard's case - between his life and work. It covers the literary and philosophical challenges raised by Kierkegaard's 'direct' and 'indirect' forms of communication; considers Kierkegaard's important critique of Hegel; opens up his ideas on subjectivity and truth; and provides illuminating commentaries on both Fear and Trembling and Philosophical Fragments. Valuably, the guide shows how Kierkegaard's philosophical, religious, social, literary and personal concerns are integrated and unified in his works. It also assesses his influence on later philosophers, including Heidegger, Wittgenstein and Sartre.

Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to fathom, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material. Soren Kierkegaard was the progenitor of existentialism, as well as a major literary figure and philosopher of ethics and religion. As such, he is a key figure in modern Western philosophy, one whose poetic, though complex, works - including the seminal Fear and Trembling - require close and careful study. A Guide for the Perplexed offers a cogent, comprehensive and authoritative account of Kierkegaard's philosophy, ideal for students and readers coming to his work for the first time and who want to reach a full and detailed understanding of this major thinker and writer. The book explores the relationship - particularly important in Kierkegaard's case - between his life and work. It covers the literary and philosophical challenges raised by Kierkegaard's 'direct' and 'indirect' forms of communication; considers Kierkegaard's important critique of Hegel; opens up his ideas on subjectivity and truth; and provides illuminating commentaries on both Fear and Trembling and Philosophical Fragments. Valuably, the guide shows how Kierkegaard's philosophical, religious, social, literary and personal concerns are integrated and unified in his works. It also assesses his influence on later philosophers, including Heidegger, Wittgenstein and Sartre.

Genres: Philosophy, Religion, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Clare Carlisle is a British philosopher and biographer. She is the author of books on Baruch Spinoza, Søren Kierkegaard, and George Eliot. She was born in Manchester in 1977. She studied philosophy at Trinity College, Cambridge between 1995 and 2002. She is a professor at King's College London. In 2024 she gave the Gifford Lectures at the University of St Andrews. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, The Nation, the Times Literary Supplement, and the Los Angeles Review of Books.

Reviews

[امیرمحمد حیدری · Rating 1 out of 5]

کتاب چنان شلخته است که فهم مرا از کیرکگور کم‌تر و پریشان‌تر کرد. اگر با دیدی باز، و خواندن و تسلط بر آثار مهم کیرکگور به سراغ این کتاب نروید، هیچ‌چیزی از آن نخواهید فهمید.

[تیهو · Rating 4 out of 5]

بین این درباره‌ی کیرکگور‌‌هایی که ترجمه شده فکر کنم مفیدترین‌‍ش بود.

[Bettie]

[Iman · Rating 4 out of 5]

فصل چهار مفیدترین بخش کتاب بود.

[Paul Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather heavy going but that is to be expected.

[Giovanni Generoso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Søren Kierkegaard is quickly becoming a favorite thinker. I love his wit, his personality, his hair. This accessible book is a great introductory work into the thought of the Danish gadfly, that solitary individual.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to Kierkegaard. It's really very enjoyable to read.

[Adam Shand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book and it got me started on how to thing about Kierkegaard. Didn't finish it because I wasn't really interested in the details, just wanted some framing.