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Sren Kierkegaard - Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity | Coursera

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Sren Kierkegaard Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity

In this course we will explore how Kierkegaard deals with the problems associated with relativism, the lack of meaning and the undermining of religious faith that are typical of modern life. His penetrating analyses are still highly relevant today and have been seen as insightful for the leading figures of Existentialism, Post-Structuralism and Post-Modernism.

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About the Course

It is often claimed that relativism, subjectivism and nihilism are typically modern philosophical problems that emerge with the breakdown of traditional values, customs and ways of life. The result is the absence of meaning, the lapse of religious faith, and feeling of alienation that is so widespread in modernity. The Danish thinker Sren Kierkegaard (1813-55) gave one of the most penetrating analyses of this complex phenomenon. But somewhat surprisingly he seeks insight into it not in any modern thinker but rather in an ancient one, the Greek philosopher Socrates. In his famous work The Concept of Irony Kierkegaard examines different forms of subjectivism and relativism as they are conceived as criticisms of traditional culture. He characterizes these different tendencies under the heading of irony. He realizes that once critical reflection has destroyed traditional values, there is no way to go back. But yet the way forward is uncertain. As the modern movements such as Existentialism, Post-Structuralism and Post-Modernism reveal, the issues that Kierkegaard faced are still among the central problems of philosophy today.

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Course at a Glance

3-5 hours of work / week English English subtitles

Instructors
Jon Stewart University of Copenhagen

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Course Syllabus
Part 1: Kierkegaard on Socratic Irony (Full text titles for abbreviations and links are listed at end of syllabus) Week 1 Course Introduction: The Life and Work of Kierkegaard as a Socratic Task Plato: The Euthyphro (pp. 1-16) Plato: The Apology (pp. 17-37)

Week 2 Kierkegaard, Martensen and Hegelianism at the University of Copenhagen Hegel: The Socratic Method (Hist. of Phil., vol. 1, pp. 384-389, pp. 397-406) Hegel: The Daimon (Hist. of Phil., vol. 1, pp. 421-425) Hegel: The Fate of Socrates (Hist. of Phil., vol. 1, pp. 430-448) Supplemental Reading Hegel: The Principle of the Good (Hist. of Phil., vol. 1, pp. 406-411) Kierkegaard: Journal AA:12 (KJN, vol. 1, pp. 19-22)

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Sren Kierkegaard - Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity | Coursera

Week 3 Kierkegaards View of Socrates Kierkegaard: The Daimon of Socrates (CI, pp. 157-167) Kierkegaard: The Condemnation of Socrates (CI, pp. 167-183, pp. 193-197) Supplemental Reading Kierkegaard: The View Made Necessary (CI, pp. 198-214) Kierkegaard: The Conflict between the Old and the New Soap-Cellar Journal DD:208 (KJN, vol. 1, pp. 278-289)

Part 2: Kierkegaard on Romantic Irony

Week 4 Kierkegaard, Heiberg and History Kierkegaard: The World-Historical Validity of Irony, the Irony of Socrates (CI pp. 241-271) Supplemental Reading Kierkegaard: Introduction (CI, pp. 9-12) Kierkegaard: Hegels View of Socrates (CI, pp. 219-237) Heiberg: On the Significance of Philosophy for the Present Age (pp. 83-119)

Week 5 Kierkegaard, P.M. Mller and Friedrich von Schlegel Kierkegaard: Irony After Fichte: Fichte (CI, pp. 272-286) Kierkegaard: Irony After Fichte: Schlegel (CI, pp. 286-301) Kierkegaard: Irony as a Controlled Element the Truth of Irony (CI, pp. 324-329) Supplemental Reading Hegel: Fichte (Hist. of Phil., vol. 3, pp. 479-506) Hegel: The More Important Followers of Fichte (Hist. of Phil., vol. 3, pp. 506-508)

Part 3: Kierkegaards Socratic Task

Week 6 The Conception of Kierkegaards Socratic Task: 1843 The Trip to Berlin and the Beginning of the Authorship Kierkegaard: Diapsalmata (EO1, pp. 17-43) Kierkegaard: Problema I (FT , pp. 54-67) Supplemental Reading Martensen: Rationalism, Supernaturalism (pp. 127-143) Kierkegaard: A Word of Thanks to Professor Heiberg (COR, pp. 17-21)

Week 7 Kierkegaards Socratic Task: 1844-45 The Development of the Pseudonymous Works

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Sren Kierkegaard - Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity | Coursera

Kierkegaard: The Absolute Paradox (PF , pp. 37-48) Kierkegaard: The Concept of Anxiety (CA, p. 3, p. 5, p. 16, pp. 134-135) Kierkegaard: Preface VIII (P, pp. 159-170) Kierkegaard: Stages on Lifes Way (SLW, pp. 481-485) Kierkegaard: Becoming Subjective (CUP, pp. 184-188) Kierkegaard: The Issue in Fragments (CUP, pp. 381-384)

Week 8 Kierkegaards Socratic Task: 1846-55 The Second Half of the Authorship and the Attack on the Church Kierkegaard: The Point of View (PV, p. 24, pp. 54-55, pp. 68-69) Kierkegaard: The Socratic Definition of Sin (SUD, pp. 90-100) Kierkegaard: The God-Man is a Sign (PC, pp. 9-10, pp. 81-83, pp. 124-127) Kierkegaard: Was Bishop Mynster a Truth Witness (M, pp. 3-8) Kierkegaard: The Moment, no. 10 (M, pp. 340-347)

Texts: Please note that all texts will be available free during the time period of the course. Plato: The Euthyphro, in Socrates of Athens, trans. by Cathal Woods and Ryan Pack. (Available at http://books.google.dk/books? id=v53iDJDi_M0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false) Plato: Socrates Defense (The Apology), in Socrates of Athens, trans. by Cathal Woods and Ryan Pack. (Available at http://books.google.dk/books? id=v53iDJDi_M0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false) Hegel: Hist. of Phil. = Lectures on the History of Philosophy, vols. 1-3, trans. by E.S. Haldane, London: K. Paul, Trench, Trbner 1892-96; Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press 1955. (Vol. 1 available at http://archive.org/details/lecturesonhisto00hegegoog) (Vol. 3 available at http://archive.org/details/lectureshistoryp03hegeuoft) Heiberg: On the Significance of Philosophy for the Present Age in Heibergs On the Significance of Philosophy for the Present Age and Other Texts, ed. and trans. by Jon Stewart, Copenhagen: C.A. Reitzel 2005 (Texts from Golden Age Denmark , vol. 1), pp. 83-119. (Available courtesy of Museum Tusculanum Press: see http://www.mtp.hum.ku.dk/details.asp?eln=203519) Kierkegaard: CA = The Concept of Anxiety, trans. by Reidar Thomte in collaboration with Albert B. Anderson, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1980. Kierkegaard: CI = The Concept of Irony, trans. by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1989. Kierkegaard: COR = The Corsair Affair; Articles Related to the Writings, trans. by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1982. Kierkegaard: CUP = Concluding Unscientific Postscript, vols. 1-2, trans. by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1992, vol. 1. Kierkegaard: EO1 = Either/Or 1, trans. by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1987. Kierkegaard: FT = Fear and Trembling, trans. by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong,

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Sren Kierkegaard - Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity | Coursera

Princeton: Princeton University Press 1983. Kierkegaard: KJN = Kierkegaards Journals and Notebooks, ed. by Niels Jrgen Cappelrn et al., Princeton: Princeton University Press 2007-. Kierkegaard: M = The Moment and Late Writings, trans. by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1998. Kierkegaard: P = Preface VIII in Heibergs Perseus and Other Texts, ed. and trans. by Jon Stewart, Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press 2011 (Texts from Golden Age Denmark , vol. 6), pp. 157-180. (Available courtesy of Museum Tusculanum Press: see http://www.mtp.hum.ku.dk/details.asp?eln=203519) Kierkegaard: PC = Practice in Christianity, trans. by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1991. Kierkegaard: PF = Philosophical Fragments; Johannes Climacus, or De omnibus dubitandum est, trans. by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1985. Kierkegaard: PV = The Point of View, trans. by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1998. Kierkegaard: SLW = Stages on Lifes Way, trans. by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1988. Kierkegaard: SUD = The Sickness unto Death, trans. by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1980. Martensen: Rationalism, Supernaturalism and the principium exclusi medii, in Mynsters Rationalism, Supernaturalism and the Debate about Mediation, ed. and trans. by Jon Stewart, Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press 2009 (Texts from Golden Age Denmark , vol. 5), pp. 127-143. (Available courtesy of Museum Tusculanum Press: see http://www.mtp.hum.ku.dk/details.asp?eln=203519)

Recommended Background
No prior knowledge of Kierkegaard is required. The course will be on an advanced undergraduate level, and it will be an advantage for students to have some prior knowledge or idea about the history of philosophy. For students who wish to dig deeper than what is presented in video-presentations, texts, and assignments there will be supplementary readings for all course modules.

FAQ
Will I get a Statement of Accomplishment after completing this class? Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor. What resources will I need for this class? For this course, all you need is an Internet connection, and the time to read, write, discuss, and enjoy the texts and thoughts and ideas of Sren Kierkegaard.

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