Kierkegaard

Greetings from the Philosophy side of the trip.

I had a great question from a student the other day. What is a Kierkegaard?

I thought about the question for a few days and decided it would be a good way to start the discussion here. The other philosophical figure we will study on my end is Knut Hamsun and I will do a similar post for Hamsun in a few weeks so check back. I will also continue the Kierkegaard discussion as the year moves on.

First and foremost the family name "Kierkegaard" means something like "churchyard" in Danish. That is an interesting family name and it does fit his philosophical work.

Kierkegaard is generally considered the father of existentialism. What is existentialism? It is a way of philosophical thinking and posing questions that have to do with life and the value of it.

Soren Kierkegaard

Before the trip I would like each student to become familiar with some of the basic and most influential works of Kierkegaard and the story of his life. When we reach Denmark in May I would like the students to be able to understand what Kierkegaard wrote about and how the city of Copenhagen and landscape of Denmark influenced his life.

Copenhagen

Danish landscape

Kierkegaard is a challenging and fascinating thinker. He trades in irony and humor in his work and had a profound impact on modern psychology, literary theory, theology, and aesthetics.

Question: Can you hold an author accountable for his or her work if they do not sign their name to a work but use a "pen name"?

Very good links:

The Kierkegaard Library at St. Olaf College in Minnesota where I did my research fellowship for my dissertation:
http://www.stolaf.edu/collections/kierkegaard/aboutkierk.html

Kierkegaard Manuscript collection, take a look at first drafts and his handwriting:

http://www2.kb.dk/kultur/expo/sk-mss//index-en.htm

An online course worth a look:

http://www.kvaekerne.dk/personal/HAA/SK1.html