Kierkegaard and Johannes de silentio’s Religious Stages

Søren Kierkegaard, famously known as a ‘knight of faith’, was a religious author who later donned the title of the first existentialist philosopher in history. Furthermore, faith and religion played large roles in outlining many of his works and life. In his work, Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard outlined the three stages of life: the aesthetic,…

Existentialism in the early 19th Century

Major Themes Because of the diversity of positions associated with existentialism, the term is impossible to define precisely. Certain themes common to virtually all existentialist writers can, however, be identified. The term itself suggests one major theme: the stress on concrete individual existence and, consequently, on subjectivity, individual freedom, and choice. Moral Individualism Most philosophers…