| SOREN KIERKEGAARD |
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 |
| �And when the physiologist has written the extraordinary, the most extraordinary four volumes full of the most amazing observations, he himself will nevertheless admit--if he is truly honest and brilliant--that he has not explained the ultimate, the ultimate which is the beginning and the end of ethics.� (1846)
�And yet the best assurance that a person loves people is still and will remain that God is as close to him as life, which is how it is with me almost every moment.� (1848) �And yet what are all bugle calls compared to the one the archangel will blow some day: 'Awake, you who sleep, the Lord is coming!' � (August 1840) �Anselm prays to God in all sincerity that he may succeed in proving God's existence. He thinks he has succeeded and throws himself down to thank God: curious, he does not notice that this prayer and thanksgiving are infinitely more proof of God's existence than--the proof.� ("Curious Self-Contradiction", 1853) �Any determinant which applies to all cannot enter into existence but must either underlie existence or lie outside as meaningless.� (Attack Upon "Christendom") �Anything that is almost probable, or probable, or extremely and emphatically probable, is something he can almost know, or as good as know, or extremely and emphatically almost know--but it is impossible to believe. For the absurd is the object of faith, and the only object that can be believed. Or suppose a man who says that he has faith, but desires to make his faith clear to himself, so as to understand himself in his fiath. Now the comedy begins again. The object of faith becomes almost probable, as good as probable, extremely and emphatically probable. He has completed his investigations, and he ventures to claim for himself that he does not believe as shoemakers and tailors and other simple folk believe, but that he has also understood himself in his believing. Strange understanding! On the contrary, he has in fact learned something else about faith than when he believed; and he has learned that he no longer believes, since he almost knows, or as good as knows, or extremely and emphatically almost knows.� (Concluding Unscientific Postscript) �As children we often brought our parents gifts which they themselves had given us; this is the way it always is with God.� �As concern for becoming an authentic Christian gradually decreased, as well as the enthusiasm in actually being one, and since people did not wish on the other hand to break completely with Christianity, there arose hidden inwardness. Hidden inwardness excuses one from actual renunciation, excuses one from all the inconvenience of suffering for the cause of Christianity. This was agreed, and on this understanding one continued to be a Christian. It was convenient.� ("A Compact of Mutual Swindle Between Christendom and the World", 1850) �As for truth, in this world there is no advancement, only regression.� ("Human Drivel", 1850) �As soon as one acts decisively and emerges into actuality, existence can get hold of one and guidance bring one up.� (1850) |
 |
| page 5 |