Soren Kierkegaard and the Common Man

by Jorgen Bukdahl, Bruce H. Kirmmse (Translator)

This strikingly original work by Jørgen Bukdahl, first published in Danish in 1961, explores Søren Kierkegaard's relationship, both in the abstract and in his everyday life, with "ordinary" people. Seeking to undermine the stereotype of Kierkegaard as socially aloof and politically conservative, Bukdahl finds him to be fundamentally interested in and concerned about the plight of "the common man." In the course of his discussion Bukdahl does a thorough job of contextualizing Kierkegaard in mid-nineteenth-century Denmark, shedding light on Kierkegaard's relationships with his family, various religious groups, and the leading intellectual figures of his time. Bukdahl follows the trajectory of Kierkegaard's thoughts on the common man from his earliest writings through his battles with The Corsair and on to his untimely death. Throughout, Bukdahl examines the role of Kierkegaard's Christian faith in shaping his attitude toward the common man and social relationships in general. Kierkegaard scholar Bruce H. Kirmmse here provides the first English translation of Bukdahl's book and has included many helpful additions—a biographical introduction that fills in the details of Kierkegaard's life, endnotes that identify the many little-known figures referenced in the text, and a preface that explains the context of the book and its author. Kirmmse also includes a bibliographic guide pointing readers to English translations of all of Kierkegaard's writings. This new information and Bukdahl's own colorful style make this an accessible and highly useful work for scholars as well as students new to Kierkegaard.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

172 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2001

Reviews

[Nick Wellings]

This is a nice little book on Kierkgaard's engagement with trying to bring a more honest type of Christianity to the masses. Hence the title "...and the common man".

Bukdahl gives us a good summary of the situation of Danish Christianity before Kierkegaard, introducing us to the principal figures in contemporary church life (Grundtvig, Lindberg, Mynster etc) with whom Søren battled through his various pseudonymous writings - and later under his own name. We get short chapters on his intellectual debts and his family background before moving onto the substance of the work, K's agon with the Danish church.

It's a solid work but could be slightly more pointed: Bukdahl's quotations from Kierkegaard's considerable corpus of writings are apposite and in good service to his aims, but I could have done with a little more analysis of them. Regardless, they make the case of K's concern for the common man themselves, and that's all for the good. In addition, some chapters seem a little unfocused, or rather, ancillary info intrudes: does the reader really need to know Kierkegaard's stance in marriage? (perhaps, as marriage was a social norm back then.)

I did like how Bukdahl linked Kierkegaard's humble upbringing to aspects of his intellectual and personal life. Above all, we get the impression of the Danish peripatetic pastor of the streets as a man of humility, de imitatione Christi - even, to adapt the words of the man himself - unto death.


Verdict:

This book would appeal to a casual reader interested in Kierkegaard's Christian project and less so to those looking for discussion o his philosophical methods. Details of these are largely absent, or mentioned as if one is already au fait. Speaking of: I took small issue with Bukdahl's presentation in passing of what the Kierkegaardian Leap was, but only because I had in mind an excellent essay on the same subject I had read around the same time which was published long after this little book came out.

Overall though, a pleasant read. Three stars.

In five-ish words:

Diverting discussion on a Danish disciple.

[Lenks]

Soren, what did they do to you, my boy? Really — not great. And I was really looking forward to this one. The author seems to forget the main point that is supposed to weave these chapters (originally talks? which could explain it) together, so it could often feel disjointed and more than a bit all over the place. Many points where I wish I could ask the author: why are you telling me this? Some of the most potentially enlightening and certainly interesting points were not explored or commented on; meanwhile long diversions into just the opposite, which could be in turns frustrating or just plain boring. While the book does choose to selectively tell more about Kierkegaard’s life, or the Denmark/Copenhagen of his time (political, religious, and social context), it assumes you are coming to the table with a good working knowledge of his main ideas, works, and pivotal life moments. All in all, Bukdahl raises a great question to explore — Kierkegaard’s relationship with the “common man,” and I think that is indeed fertile ground for a book to grow — but this did not deliver, is not that book.