Carlos De Guzman

02/09/16
121188

TH

151 J
Introduction to the Life and Work of Sren Kierkegaard
Before the dawn of the 20th century, the Danish intellectual Sren
Kierkegaard made his enduring mark on the fields of philosophy and
theology. Having been regarded as one of the first existential philosophers
and

having

left

considerable

influence

on

Protestant

theology,

Kierkegaard devoted a great deal of his work towards the understanding

of religious existence and of the Christian faith.
Christianity was always a resounding and fundamental presence
throughout Kierkegaards life.

In his literature and in his teachings,

Kierkegaard identifies three spheres of existence better known as the

Three Stages on Lifes Way. The first stage is that of the aesthetic, which
concerns itself with the pleasures and sensuous experiences of life. Of the
three stages, the aesthetic stage involves a preoccupation towards
making life as interesting as possible for the self. The next stage is that of
the ethical, which bases itself on the constant presence of social rules that
govern the actions the individual. Unlike the first stage, the ethical calls
for an individual to take responsibility for their lives and for their actions,
forming a commitment to ones self and a genuine awareness of right and
wrong. The third stage is the religious, which Kierkegaard considers to be
the highest plane of existence. While it is possible for an individual to be
ethical without being religious, reaching the religious sphere of existence

calls for an individual to be concurrently ethical. Living within the religious

sphere not only calls for a commitment to the Christian faith, but a life
committed to morality as well.
As a profound philosopher and theologian, Kierkegaards teachings
serve as an integral critique of the Christian faith and of existence. His life
and his work serve as a call for individuals to look and to understand more
profoundly their faith and their very being.