Kierkegaard: Thoughts on Self Development - Coursework Example

Kierkegaard: Thoughts on Self Development Introduction Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), a Danish philosopher of the nineteenth century, has greatly influenced the philosophy of the 20th century, which is known as Postmodernism. He is also credited with the development of existential philosophy and psychology (Matustik & Westphal, 1995); and for his contribution in this regards, Kierkegaard is referred to as the “father of existentialism” (McGrath, 1993, 202). His most famous notions are his theories on ‘subjectivity’; and the “leap of faith” that speaks on the relationship of an individual with God. Kierkegaard also gives importance to the concept of ‘self’, and purports the idea that self is developed only through introspection and process of reflection. Here in this article I will take a look at the idea that Kierkegaard has put forward in the process of self development, where he delineates three stages: the aesthetic stage, ethical stage and the religious stage; which one must transcend in order to gain self knowledge, and comprehend the essence of the ultimate subjective truth, “subjectivity is truth...and truth is subjectivity” (Kierkegaard, S., Howard, and Edna, 1978, 643). Discussion Kierkegaard based his philosophical thoughts, as is revealed in his works Either/ Or, From Sickness unto Death, and Stages on Life’s Way, on the question as to who am I? How do I develop a relationship with God? Here Kierkegaard contemplates about the existence of an individual (the self), and the conditions that this self faces each day in order to survive. In this respect it must be noted that, since we are all mortal beings, and thus each of one of us, with death, would one day physically cease to exist. On a similar note, Kierkegaard talks of the uncertainties, even where the mind of an individual is concerned. As one searches for the truth of his existence, his moralities and for the ultimate knowledge; he realizes that knowledge by nature is infinite. For everything that one learns, there is always something that he does not know, thus the search for that ultimate knowledge is perpetual. In his book Stages on Life’s Way, Kierkegaard discusses man’s incessant search for the true meaning of life and the purpose of his existence. Kierkegaard also lays stress on the sense of responsibilities, essence of freedom; and opined that the will and emotions of an individual are more important than ‘reason’, in developing one’s life. According to Kierkegaard, “In man, soul and body are united in spiritual self, which synthesizes the finite and the infinite, the temporal and the eternal, necessity and freedom...[and] human existence is an ongoing, dynamic process of becoming” (Pomerleau, 359). This ongoing process must pass through the 3 stages of life, in order to access God. There is a certain amount of speculation as to whether these 3 stages can be better described as ‘spheres’, in order to bring forth the idea that passing through all the 3 stages is not a necessity, and that each stage is not exclusive from the other. However, the general view is in favor of the term ‘stages’, since it represents more appropriately, the scale of importance of each phase (Collins, 1954, p. 42-50). The first stage/ Aesthetic stage: The first stage is the aesthetic stage, also known as sphere of existence (Anderson, 2000, 44). This phase is concerned with the present state in an individual’s life, and is thus finite in nature. In this stage one tends to enjoy life through various material and sensuous pleasures. Thus, this stage portrays individualism, where one lives for his self only, and is dependent on the pleasures derived from an immediate situation. In his book Either/Or, Kierkegaard speaks of the adverse effects of being too busy in life, and deriving pleasure from an immediate situation. “Of all ridiculous things in the world what strikes me as the most ridiculous of all is being busy in the world... For what do they achieve, these busy botchers? Are they not like the housewife who, in confusion at the fire in her house, saves the fire-tongues? What else do they salvage from the great fire of life?” (Kierkegaard, 1992, 47) The aesthetic stage thus pertains to be more self serving, with a tendency to avoid all kinds of responsibilities or commitments. It does not heed for any kind of social obligations, and is void of a sense of community feeling. It creates a world of its own through bigotry, contrivance and a vivid imagination that is based on fantasy without any trace of realism. According to Kierkegaard, this aesthetic stage can be denoted by the ‘body’ (a physical substance), which strives for instant gratifications and sensual pleasures. Humans cannot survive for long in such a state, where one is busy in his constant quest for occupation or trade, or is deriving constant pleasure from various material resources. All these things ultimately lead to frustration, disappointment, and finally a sense of despair. Many individuals, according to Kierkegaard, are never able to move out of this aesthetic stage, as they never comprehend the existence of anything beyond their everyday material desires and immediate gratifications. Such material pleasures cannot be infinite, and has an element of uncertainty marked by a limited boundary, and can be removed from our lives at any moment, by force or by God. So it is essential for humans to seek for ‘selfhood’ denial, and choose repentance, as “repentance puts the individual in the most intimate connection and the most exact cohesion with a surrounding world” (Kierkegaard, 1992, 535). As one seeks for repentance, the individual in the aesthetic stage now assumes responsibility for his previous actions, and seeks value not only in self but in all others. Thus “He who regards life ethically sees the universal, and he who lives ethically expresses the universal in his life, he makes himself the universal man, not by divesting himself of his concretion, for then he becomes nothing, but by clothing himself with it and permeating it with the universal” (ibid, 547). So now we now see the transformation from the aesthetic phase (individualism), into the ethical stage (universal), which forms the second stage in Kierkegaard’s 3 stages of life. The second stage/ the Ethical stage: Here an individual deviates from material pleasures and looks beyond a life that is for the self; and starts living for others and thinks good for the community, as a whole. One starts rationalizing on the ethics of marriage, importance of conscience, and necessity to perform duties both familial and societal. As one introspects and examines life, he starts making good choices, and this forms the basic difference between an aesthetic life and ethical life. In the former, one does not reflect or introspect, and does not live by choosing the good out of a well examined life. On the other hand, “The person who lives ethically has seen himself, knows himself, penetrates with his consciousness his whole concretion; ... The ethical individual knows himself, but this knowledge is not a mere contemplation, it is a reflection upon himself which itself is an action, and therefore I have deliberately preferred to use the expression “choose oneself” instead of know oneself” (ibid, 549). This stage, according to Kierkegaard, is represented by the soul that is non-physical, and transcends all boundaries of time and space. In the theory of existentialism, as explained by Kierkegaard, an individual human being undergoes a process of self transformation where one moves towards acquiring freedom and consciousness, which in turn prevents him from taking momentary and immediate gratifications as seen in the aesthetic stage. Thus, an individual on choosing the correct ethical values, enters the appropriate stage in the human life form, and instead of concentrating only on selfhood, moves on to becoming an individual who is “not just a personal self but a social, a civic self” (ibid, 553). Stage three/ the religious stage: The ethical stage is interrelated to the religious stage. An individual can be ethical without being overtly religious, but the religious stage must include the ethical stage within its fold. As a person lives in the ethical stage, he has relationships with the community and his family members, while being committed to ethical values and an ethical absolute. As he progresses into the religious stage, his commitment and relationship is now with God. Kierkegaard (through his pseudonyms) acknowledges this stage to the highest form achievable for a human being. He (his pseudonym ‘Judge Wilhelm’) further creates two types within the religion stage, religiousness A and religiousness B. Socrates represents one form of religiousness where his ardent quest for the truth brought him into direct conflict with society; while in the other form an individual realizes that he is sinful, and with time he establishes a relationship with the paradox (Jesus), and realizes that for his salvation he must ultimately reach out to God. Religion, in Kierkegaard’s theory, creates a feeling of enlightenment, and one becomes conscious of an absolute power of the universe. Religion with its social and individual perspectives, originates from the very revelation that one/ self is sinful, and therefore must necessarily progress within a human sphere to establish a relationship with Jesus and the God to get salvation. Conclusion The aesthetic phase that lives in that very moment is something that we see all around us today, in this age of instant gratification where we live by the motto, “live for the day”. So, seemingly, a majority of us in these modern days remain transfixed in this aesthetic stage. However, it should be one’s aim to slowly move away from this stage that survives only on material desires and sensuous pleasures; and progress into the stage where one takes responsibility for all actions, past or present, and assumes duties towards his family and community. As Kierkegaard tells us, it is definitely not possible for an individual to survive alone on material desires, sensuous pleasures, and instant gratifications. It is definitely for our own good and for the general good of the entire society, that we progress towards the ethical stage where we develop stronger bonds with the community and also learn to choose the ‘good’ through a self examined life. The religious stage that takes us nearer to our salvation, is the highest stage a human can achieve (and also the most difficult one), in order to reach Jesus and God. It is much better to acknowledge the supremacy of God and progress in life, than to roam around aimlessly without any hope; and as Kierkegaard says “Life can be thought backwards, but it must be lived forward.” Works Cited Anderson, S. On Kierkegaard. Belmont: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning, 2000. Print. Collins, J. The mind of Kierkegaard. London: Secker and Warburg, 1954. Print. Kierkegaard, S., Howard , H., and Edna H. Søren Kierkegaards Journals and Papers. Vol. 4. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1978. Print. Kierkegaard, S. Either/Or: a Fragment of Life, translated by Alastair Hannay. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print. Matustik, M., & Westphal, M. (eds). Kierkegaard in Post/Modernity. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995. Print. McGrath, A. The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Modern Christian Thought. Cambridge: Blackwell Publishing, 1993. Print. Pomerleau, W. Twelve great philosophers: a historical introduction to human nature. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 1997. Print. Read More