CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES
Soren Kierkegaard: Stages on Life’s Way
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A Term Paper
Presented to
Ms. Maria Majorie R. Purino, Ph. D.
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In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the course
PHILOSOPHY 25: PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
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By
Peter Macabinguil
October 2011
Introduction
Soren Kierkegaard writings basically speak about how human live and how human choose to live. Kierkegaard philosophize what its mean to be alive. His subject was the individual and his or her existence, the existing being. In Kierkegaard’s view, this purely subjective entity is lay beyond the reach of reason, logic, philosophical systems, theology or even psychology. Nonetheless, it was the source of all subjects. The branch of philosophy in which Kierkegaard gives birth what has come to be known as existentialism. Existentialism can best be described as a mood within philosophy that emphasizes the concrete and particular existence of man in the world. Later Existentialists described man as having no essence but only existence. Existentialism’s core philosophy is the problem of existence. Kierkegaard reexamine the most first philosophical questions ever to be asked, “What is existence?” Kierkegaard insisted that every individual should not only ask this question but should make his very life his own subjected answer to it. This stress on subjectivity is Kierkegaard main contribution. The answer did not rely on constructing a perfect system which explains everything. That was more fundamental problem which prompted question such as, what is existence, what does it means to exist? It was Kierkegaard who set himself a task in answering these questions.
Human Existence Kierkegaard’s whole career might well be considered a self-conscious revolt against abstract thought and attempt on his part to live up to Feuerbach’s admonition: “Do
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