Kierkegaard research is alive and well

Story written by Claus Johansen

Time / Periode 1855

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On 2 October 1855, Søren Kierkegaard collapsed in the street and was taken to Frederiks Hospital in Bredgade, where he died on 11 November. His remains lie buried in a modest grave at Assistens Cemetery, but tourists still find him, and many leave a flower on his grave. Denmark's great philosopher was obsessed by momentous issues: of choice, of taking responsibility, of existential angst, of taking action and of faith in the face of reason. He knows his logic, but does not discount that emotion governs our existence. He writes under various pseudonyms in order to address subjects from several perspectives. Depression is never far away, but it helps to go for a walk. Day after day he wanders the streets of his overpopulated city. He was a familiar character, in the vice districts as well. His language is, at times, bewildering in its complexity. But the code can be cracked, and Kierkegaard research is still flourishing. After all, the philosopher is a great author, who writes with such enthusiasm that he serves as an entertaining guide in our wonderful, madcap capital. Supercilious and deeply religious, he was not readily impressed. There are many who suppress the knowledge that he condemned the Church of Denmark as immoral and unchristian. His thinking on the individual's battles with guilt, emotion and choice had vast influence on the Existentialist philosophy that emerged in Germany in the 1920s, and which subsequently inspired French intellectuals, who in the post-war era needed to place blame. He shares a tombstone with his parents, and continues to share his thoughts with a diverse readership worldwide.

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