Kierkegaard: A Guide for the Perplexed

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. Kierkegaard: 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.