Evening star., 1961-04-22

at AZ. In his lifetime and for
cetved scant attention at hom
has been for the past century
and for intellectuals the world
over to discover this man, to
find him giving new meaning
to religion, philosophy, art,
drama and literature.
What manner of man was
Soren Kierkegaard? What are
the basic ideas which he sets
forth in the so-called exist
. entialism" of which he is re-
garded as the worlds greatest
exponent?
The life Of Kierkegaard may
be regarded as the key to his
philosophy. He was reared in
Copenhagen and spent his life
In Denmark except for short
period in Germany. His father
was well-to-do and gave his
son a comfortable home, a good
education and an inheritance.
Kierkegaard had a morbid.
melancholy, brooding disposi-
ton, all of which was to find
vivid reflection in his adult
writings.
Kierkegaard was neither
healthy nor handsome. He had
poor posture, a kind of limp, a
face with a nose easily carica-
tured. When controversy arose,
his enemies made cutting
weapons out of these infirmi-
ties.
Death Struck Near
Of the seven children born
into the Kierkegaard house
hold, five died in their early
years and consequently the
thought of death was a very
real one to Soren. Perhaps it
was his desire to escape from
sorrow that inspired the young
Kierkegaard to play the role
of a gay blade for a while dur
ing his student days.
This phase quickly passed
and Kierkegaard settled down
to study for the ministry. Al
though he finished his theolo-
gical studies with cum
laude," he never became a
clergyman.
Kierkegaard quickly became
embroiled in controversy. His
first thrusts were against the
then highly popular German
philosopher Georg Wilhelm
Friedrich Hegel. To Kierke-
gard. Hegel's abstract con-
cepts were offensive.
He also became involved in
controversy with a Copenhagen
periodical, the CorSair. a kind
of 10Th century scandal sheet.
When certain leading citizens
trembled for fear of what the
CorSair might say about them,
,Kierkegaard came to their de-
fense with his sharp pen.
Kierkegaard fell in love with
Regina Olsen, a lovely Danish
girl. Her well-to-do father en-
tirely approved of Kierkegaard
and was only too ready to seal
the marriage pact with a hand
some dowry.
But, as the fateful day drew
near. Kierkegaard broke the en-
,gagement and left Copenhagen
to study in Berlin.
During this period Kierke-
gard deepened his acquain-
tance with Angst" the AN
guish" and fear and tremb-
ling" of which he was to write
so expressively a little later
on.
Theory Takes Shape
Meanwhile Kierkegaard's "ex-
1stentialism" was beginning to
take shape. Attacking the abb
stractions of Hegel, Kierke-
,gaard declared that objective
truth has little value until it
is subjectively understood and
then applied to the existing
situations.
Ideas. he said, must be
brought down out of the STRAIT
@phere and be made "exis-
tential;" that is, operative in
terms of human conduct. An
uncommitted person he be-
9ieved, is really no person: Man
must think, choose and act, or
bife loses its meaning and the
eoul its essential character.
Kierkegaard's quarrel with
The Lutheran State Church of
Denmark was the climax of
his career. Trained for the
ministry. he became bitterly
critical of the clergy and of
organized religion. Behind the