Comparing Kierkegaard's Fear And Trembling
Fear and Trembling
Faith and ethics are a strong focal point in Kierkegaard’s “fear and trembling. Through the retelling of the story of Abraham Kierkegaard’s attempts to analyze the distinction of what lies between the ethical and religious and why faith is a passion difficult to understand.
The ethical stands with the universal, to act out not individually but for the greater good. An example of this is the tragic hero. A single individual whose highest good is that which is best for society. Such as, Agamemnon, who sacrifices his child for the promise of a better life for his people? “That tragic hero gives up what is certain for what is still more certain, and the eye of the beholder rest confidently upon him” No one doubts Agamemnon’s …show more content…
It deals with the single individual’s private relationship to God. The religious transcends the ethical because of this private relationship to god. There is no way to explain the behavior of a religious man since his relationship is one on one with god. An example of the religious is the knight of faith. Abraham being a knight of faith takes his son to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him as was Gods will. Yet, he held onto having faith that god will not make him sacrifice his son. This faith is not denial or hope. Abraham’s faith is in God so strong that he without waver goes to the mountain full intent on sacrificing his son with full faith that God will not let him do it. This is a complete faith that is beyond the comprehension of anyone other than Abraham …show more content…
Abraham was given his son back and his family and given the holy land. More than that though he was given his happiness back like nothing ever happened. If Abraham had not had such strong faith he would never have been able to come back from this trial the same. Yet he was able to move on and live and enjoy life. “For it is great to give up ones desire, but greater to stick to it after giving it up; it is great to grasp hold of the eternal but greater to stick to the temporal after having given it up.” What this means is that the knight of faith is able to live in the pleasures of the temporal because he has faith that what he wants and needs is always given to him by god. “Through faith I don’t renounce anything, on the contrary in faith I receive
Faith and ethics are a strong focal point in Kierkegaard’s “fear and trembling. Through the retelling of the story of Abraham Kierkegaard’s attempts to analyze the distinction of what lies between the ethical and religious and why faith is a passion difficult to understand.
The ethical stands with the universal, to act out not individually but for the greater good. An example of this is the tragic hero. A single individual whose highest good is that which is best for society. Such as, Agamemnon, who sacrifices his child for the promise of a better life for his people? “That tragic hero gives up what is certain for what is still more certain, and the eye of the beholder rest confidently upon him” No one doubts Agamemnon’s …show more content…
It deals with the single individual’s private relationship to God. The religious transcends the ethical because of this private relationship to god. There is no way to explain the behavior of a religious man since his relationship is one on one with god. An example of the religious is the knight of faith. Abraham being a knight of faith takes his son to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him as was Gods will. Yet, he held onto having faith that god will not make him sacrifice his son. This faith is not denial or hope. Abraham’s faith is in God so strong that he without waver goes to the mountain full intent on sacrificing his son with full faith that God will not let him do it. This is a complete faith that is beyond the comprehension of anyone other than Abraham …show more content…
Abraham was given his son back and his family and given the holy land. More than that though he was given his happiness back like nothing ever happened. If Abraham had not had such strong faith he would never have been able to come back from this trial the same. Yet he was able to move on and live and enjoy life. “For it is great to give up ones desire, but greater to stick to it after giving it up; it is great to grasp hold of the eternal but greater to stick to the temporal after having given it up.” What this means is that the knight of faith is able to live in the pleasures of the temporal because he has faith that what he wants and needs is always given to him by god. “Through faith I don’t renounce anything, on the contrary in faith I receive