Are you familiar with the philosophical concept of “the system”? It’s a term used to describe a comprehensive and consistent set of beliefs or ideas that form a framework for understanding the world. But what does it mean according to Kierkegaard? In this article, we’ll explore Kierkegaard’s unique perspective on the system and how it relates to his ideas on the stages of life. Get ready to dive deep into the mind of one of history’s most influential philosophers.
What Is The System According To Kierkegaard
Kierkegaard was known for his rejection of the idea of a systematic philosophy. He believed that a comprehensive and consistent set of beliefs could not fully capture the complexity and richness of human existence. Instead, Kierkegaard emphasized the importance of subjective experience and individual choice in shaping one’s understanding of the world.
Kierkegaard’s rejection of the system is closely tied to his ideas on the stages of life. He proposed that individuals pass through three stages on their way to becoming a true self: the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious. Each stage represents a different paradigm for living, with competing views on life that potentially conflict with one another.
The aesthetic stage is characterized by sensory experience and pleasures. The aesthete seeks to maximize their personal enjoyment and combat boredom through various methods, such as drawing out anticipation or seeking unplanned events. However, Kierkegaard presents this stage as immature and lacking in a solid framework for making coherent choices.
The ethical stage, on the other hand, is defined by duty and responsibility. The ethical individual seeks to do what is right and good for others, even if it means sacrificing personal pleasure. Kierkegaard acknowledges that this stage offers certain pleasures that the aesthetic life cannot provide, such as the enjoyment of doing something solely for the good of someone else.
Finally, the religious stage is characterized by a passionate inwardness and direct relationship with God or the Absolute. This stage transcends both the aesthetic and ethical paradigms and requires an existential “either/or” decision between living in faith or living ethically.
Kierkegaard’s rejection of the system is rooted in his belief that each individual must make their own choices and create their own morals and values. He believed that truth is subjective and can only be found through passionate inwardness and personal experience.
Kierkegaard’s Critique Of Hegelian System
Kierkegaard was highly critical of Hegel’s systematic philosophy, which he believed flattened God into the comprehensible via a logical system. He argued that such a system made everything intelligible, which God is not. Kierkegaard believed that Hegelianism was overly concerned with abstraction and failed to account for the individual’s subjective experience and personal responsibility.
Kierkegaard’s rejection of the system was also tied to his rejection of Hegel’s emphasis on essence over existence. He believed that existence was more important than essence, as it is through our individual experiences that we come to understand ourselves and the world around us. Kierkegaard argued that Hegelianism failed to account for the individual’s unique experiences and choices, instead treating individuals as mere cogs in a larger system.
Furthermore, Kierkegaard criticized Hegel’s view of history as a necessary progression towards an ultimate end. He believed that this view ignored the importance of individual choice and free will in shaping history. Kierkegaard also rejected Hegel’s identification of being and thought, which he believed led to pure abstraction and failed to account for the complexity of human experience.
The Three Stages Of Life According To Kierkegaard
Kierkegaard’s theory of the three stages of life is a central aspect of his philosophy. According to Kierkegaard, individuals progress through three distinct stages on their way to becoming a true self: the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious.
The aesthetic stage is characterized by a focus on sensory experience and personal pleasure. Individuals in this stage are driven by their desire for immediate gratification and are often ruled by their passions. However, Kierkegaard believed that this stage is ultimately unsatisfying and lacks the structure necessary for making coherent choices.
The ethical stage, in contrast, is defined by a sense of duty and responsibility. Individuals in this stage seek to do what is right and good for others, even if it means sacrificing their own personal pleasure. Kierkegaard believed that this stage offers certain pleasures that the aesthetic life cannot provide, such as the enjoyment of doing something solely for the good of someone else.
The religious stage represents the highest level of existence according to Kierkegaard. This stage is characterized by a passionate inwardness and a direct relationship with God or the Absolute. It transcends both the aesthetic and ethical paradigms and requires an existential “either/or” decision between living in faith or living ethically. Kierkegaard believed that true faith involves embracing the absurd and that it is only through faith that one can find meaning and purpose in life.
The Role Of Faith In Kierkegaard’s Philosophy
One of the most important aspects of Kierkegaard’s philosophy is the role of faith. He believed that faith in God was necessary for individuals to become their true selves and live a meaningful life. Kierkegaard argued that only through faith can one truly understand the complexity and richness of human existence.
According to Kierkegaard, faith is not just a matter of belief or intellectual acceptance of certain doctrines. Rather, it is a passionate inwardness and a direct relationship with God or the Absolute. This relationship is not based on reason or empirical evidence, but on a leap of faith that transcends both reason and the senses.
Kierkegaard believed that faith requires an existential “either/or” decision between living in faith or living ethically. In other words, one cannot have both faith and ethics at the same time, as they represent two different paradigms for living. While ethics is concerned with duty and responsibility towards others, faith is concerned with one’s relationship with God or the Absolute.
Kierkegaard’s emphasis on faith has been both praised and criticized by scholars. Some argue that his view of faith as a subjective experience is too individualistic and does not take into account the social and communal aspects of religion. Others argue that his emphasis on faith as a leap of passion is too irrational and ignores the importance of reason in religious belief.
Despite these criticisms, Kierkegaard’s philosophy continues to influence contemporary discussions on faith, religion, and existentialism. His emphasis on subjective experience and individual choice has resonated with many people who seek to live authentic and meaningful lives.
The Limitations Of The System In Kierkegaard’s View
Kierkegaard’s rejection of the system is not just a matter of personal preference, but also reflects his view of the limitations of any systematic philosophy. He believed that a comprehensive and consistent set of beliefs could not fully capture the complexity and richness of human existence. According to Kierkegaard, any attempt to create a systematic philosophy would necessarily involve oversimplification and abstraction, which would ultimately fail to capture the nuances and complexities of human experience.
Furthermore, Kierkegaard believed that a systematic philosophy would necessarily be impersonal, abstract, and detached from individual experience. He argued that such a philosophy would be unable to account for the subjective nature of truth and morality, which can only be discovered through personal experience and passionate inwardness.
Kierkegaard also saw limitations in the ethical stage of life, which he believed could become rigid and legalistic if pursued without reference to the individual’s subjective experience. He criticized systems of ethics that were based solely on objective reasoning, arguing that they failed to account for the individual’s search for a sense of meaning in their own life.
Ultimately, Kierkegaard believed that any attempt to create a systematic philosophy would be inherently flawed and limited in its ability to account for the complexity and richness of human existence. Instead, he emphasized the importance of individual choice and subjective experience in shaping one’s understanding of the world.
