The quotable Kierkegaard

305 Pages·2014·4.126 MB·English, Danish

by  Kierkegaard, Søren, Marino, Gordon Daniel

The Quotable Kier ke gaard

The QuoTable
Kier Keg aard
Edited by Gordon Marino
PrinceTon universiTy Press
PrinceTon and oxford
Copyright © 2014 by Gordon Marino
Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to
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Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey
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In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 6 Oxford Street, Woodstock,
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kierkegaard, Søren, 1813–1855.
[Works. Selections. English. 2013]
The quotable Kierkegaard / edited by Gordon Marino.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary: “Why I so much prefer autumn to spring is that in the autumn one looks
at heaven—in the spring at the earth.”—Søren Kierkegaard. The father of existential-
ism, Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) was a philosopher who could write like an
angel. With only a sentence or two, he could plumb the depths of the human spirit.
In this collection of some 800 quotations, the reader will find dazzling bon mots next
to words of life-changing power. Drawing from the authoritative Princeton editions
of Kierkegaard’s writings, this book presents a broad selection of his wit and wisdom,
as well as a stimulating introduction to his life and work. Organized by topic, this
volume covers notable Kierkegaardian concerns such as anxiety, despair, existence,
irony, and the absurd, but also erotic love, the press, busyness, and the comic. Here
readers will encounter both well-known quotations (“Life must be understood back-
ward. But then one forgets the other principle, that it must be lived forward”) and
obscure ones (“Beware false prophets who come to you in wolves’ clothing but in-
wardly are sheep—i.e., the phrasemongers”). Those who spend time in these pages
will discover the writer who said, “my grief is my castle,” but who also taught that
“the best defense against hypocrisy is love.” Illuminating and delightful, this engag-
ing book also provides a substantial portrait of one of the most influential of modern
thinkers. Gathers some 800 quotations Drawn from the authoritative Princeton edi-
tions of Kierkegaard’s writings Includes an introduction, a brief account and time-
line of Kierkegaard’s life, a guide to further reading, and an index”— Provided by
publisher.
ISBN 978-0-691-15530-2 (hardback)
1. Kierkegaard, Søren, 1813–1855—Quotations. I. Marino,
Gordon Daniel, 1952– II. Title.
B4372.E5 2013
198ʹ.9—dc23
2013034354p4
British Library Cataloging- in- Publication Data is available
This book has been composed in Minion Pro and Trade Gothic
Printed on acid- free paper. ∞
Printed in the United States of America
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
This book is dedicated to my beloved sons, Paul and Philip.
May tenderness and conviction continue to steer your lives.

Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Kier ke gaard’s Biography xlv
Sources and Abbreviations lvii
Chronology lxi
Autobiographical 1
Observations 18
Anxiety 65
Depression/Melancholy 69
Self/Spirit 73
Despair 83
Freedom 89
Possibility 92
Choice/Decision 94
The Ethical 97
Deception/Self- Deception 101
Guilt 104
Envy 106
viii conTenTs
The Poet 109
Erotic Love 111
Silence 113
Authority 117
Genius 119
Writing/Communication 121
The Press 124
Science 126
Philosophy 128
Existence 133
The Absurd 135
Paradox 137
The Understanding/Reason/Knowledge 139
Truth 143
Time 147
Eternal 149
Death 151
Immortality 155
Repetition 156
Busyness 157
The Individual 159
Laughter/Humor/The Comic 161
The Tragic 163
Irony 164
God 167
Faith 176
Passion 183
conTenTs ix
Prayer 184
Earnestness/Seriousness 186
Sin 190
Demonic 192
Repentance/Forgiveness 194
Christ 197
Love 199
Suffering 207
Neighbor 208
Christianity 210
Bibliography 219
Index 221