Kierkegaard
Kelly Yom
May 15, 2013
Philosophy 266
Prompt: What does Kierkegaard mean by an absolute relation to the absolute? What does such a relation involve? What does it rule out? How do I know if I have one? How do I know whether someone else does? What problems does such a relation create? What would Kierkegaard say about such problems? What can we learn from this?
One would be hard-pressed to find a man who would willingly hike up a mountain for three days just to sacrifice his son like nothing more than an animal. In fact, nowadays, anyone who does such a thing would probably be locked up in jail for the rest of his life. However, in Genesis 22, this is exactly what Abraham does. The Bible recounts the story of how Abraham receives a command from God to sacrifice Isaac, his son. Without hesitation, Abraham, Isaac, and two servants climb up Mount Moriah. On the third day, Abraham restrains Isaac on an altar and raises his knife, ready to plunge it into Isaac’s heart. Of course, this is not considered ethical human behavior, neither now nor then; however, despite this breach of ethical conduct, Abraham is often called “the father of faith.” This seems like a clear paradox—how can a religious, faithful man be willing to commit such a heinous crime? It is a complex issue and the main topic of Søren Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling. The book explores the story of Abraham and Isaac and the implications that it has for our faith, concluding with the idea that having a true relationship of faith with God means sacrificing your ethics, your relationships, and even your rationality. However, although Kierkegaard’s text provides valuable insight and criticism on the practice of religion and faith, in the end, it contradicts itself on the importance of the Biblical text it is derived from, weakening the premise of the argument.
Kierkegaard claims that Abraham’s story is remarkable because Abraham had pure, unadulterated faith in God. On page 90 of Fear and
May 15, 2013
Philosophy 266
Prompt: What does Kierkegaard mean by an absolute relation to the absolute? What does such a relation involve? What does it rule out? How do I know if I have one? How do I know whether someone else does? What problems does such a relation create? What would Kierkegaard say about such problems? What can we learn from this?
One would be hard-pressed to find a man who would willingly hike up a mountain for three days just to sacrifice his son like nothing more than an animal. In fact, nowadays, anyone who does such a thing would probably be locked up in jail for the rest of his life. However, in Genesis 22, this is exactly what Abraham does. The Bible recounts the story of how Abraham receives a command from God to sacrifice Isaac, his son. Without hesitation, Abraham, Isaac, and two servants climb up Mount Moriah. On the third day, Abraham restrains Isaac on an altar and raises his knife, ready to plunge it into Isaac’s heart. Of course, this is not considered ethical human behavior, neither now nor then; however, despite this breach of ethical conduct, Abraham is often called “the father of faith.” This seems like a clear paradox—how can a religious, faithful man be willing to commit such a heinous crime? It is a complex issue and the main topic of Søren Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling. The book explores the story of Abraham and Isaac and the implications that it has for our faith, concluding with the idea that having a true relationship of faith with God means sacrificing your ethics, your relationships, and even your rationality. However, although Kierkegaard’s text provides valuable insight and criticism on the practice of religion and faith, in the end, it contradicts itself on the importance of the Biblical text it is derived from, weakening the premise of the argument.
Kierkegaard claims that Abraham’s story is remarkable because Abraham had pure, unadulterated faith in God. On page 90 of Fear and