A friend sent me the other day two articles on Soren Kierkegaard which reminded me of the bicentenary of the Danish philosopher’s birth. Philosophers, probably, belong to a species that’s becoming extinct. Nevertheless, it’s worthwhile, if not necessary, to take a glance at some of the old philosophies. Kierkegaard’s most famous phrase is “leap into faith.” The philosopher argued that there is a profound insecurity in human life. Life is one contingency after another. The only certainty is death. The other certainties or truths have to be created by each one of us as we move through life. What is required in the process is the willingness to risk a leap of faith. Becoming human is a project , argued Kierkegaard. Our task is not so much to discover who we are but to create ourselves at every moment. Kierkegaard identified 3 stages of life experience. 1. The aesthetic : T...
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