Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) - Matthew Raphael Johnson
Channel: Yanni McQueen
Date: 2022-12-12

Dr Matthew Raphael Johnson looks at the roots of Christian metaphysical ideas about identity.

The Postmodern world is typified by the Mass Man, an isolated object without an identity or purpose. His self-hood is dictated by the crowd, the media or other powerful actors over which the Mass Man has no control.

This phenomenon developed from Capitalism's destruction of social bodies such as the estate, guild, union or parish, leaving man alone, isolated and anxious. Kierkegaard's focus is the anxiety created by this and the options for overcoming it.

The despair and dread the Mass Man feels is the first step to overcoming this evil, but most will throw themselves into a world of distractions that stands in for an actual identity. This became the heart of Christian Existentialism and Kierkegaard was its founder.

Dr Johnson's latest book: The Ontology of Death - Patristic Philosophy against Nominalism https://a.co/d/4x1nngA