SREN KIERKEGAARD

Teleological Suspension
of the Ethical

PHILOSOPHY CLASS @2019

  TELEOLOGICAL - relating to or involving the
explanation of phenomena in terms of the purpose
they serve rather than of the cause by which they
arise.
 ETHICAL - relating to moral principles or the branch
of knowledge dealing with these.
PHILOSOPHY  UNIVERSAL- refers to that which is true for "all
similarly situated individuals.“ It is the quality
CORE CONCEPT
TERMINOLOGIES ascribed to an entity whose existence is consistent
throughout the universe, whose being is
independent of and unconstrained by the events
and conditions that compose the universe, such as
entropy and physical locality.

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 Teleological came from the Greek word
“TELOS” which means an end, a goal or a
purpose.

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“The ethical is the universal. It means that it doesn’t just apply to
everyone right now; it applies at all times. If something truly is an
ethical norm, we think that it applies to everybody at least those
who are in circumstances at all times, in the future, past or
present. It resets imminent in itself.”
- S. Kierkegaard

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 “
WHY DO WE DO ART?
WHY SHOULD WE TAKE OUR MEDICINE?
WHY SHOULD WE TAKE THIS CLASS?

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  The ethical has its ‘telos’ within itself.
 The single individual sense psychically
qualified an immediacy, is the individual
who has ‘telos’, purposes, goal, and
meaning in the universal.
‘TELOS’ means….
 The individual has to align himself with
the moral demands of the ethical.
 The ethical is of the same nature as a
persons’ eternal salvation.

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 KEY QUESTIONS:

Is the ethical the highest divine salvation?

 If so, it cannot be teleologically suspended.
 If not, it can be teleologically suspended.
“ Take, please, your son, your only son whom you so love, Isaac,
and travel to the land of Moriah and offer him up there as a
burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will designate to
you.” – Genesis 22:2

STORY OF ABRAHAM

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 What Abraham’s story shows us?

What faith shows us?

What thinking about other people in this

similar situation is that if there is a teleological
suspension of the ethical?

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 STORY OF ABRAHAM
 Abraham’s story does contain a
teleological suspension of
ethical.
 Abraham transgresses the
ethical in favor of higher telos.
 The individual is placed in
absolute relation to the
absolute.

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  Abraham is the center figure in
fear and trembling.
 IfAbraham’s
we are to understand
story, we must
Abraham
& Anxiety WORK.
 What gets omitted:
ANXIETY, DISTRESS, PARADOX

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 CONTRADICTION

Fundamental Contradiction.

SO WHY
ANXIETY? ETHICAL EXPRESSION

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Abraham meant to
murder Isaac.

RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION

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Abraham meant to
sacrifice Isaac.
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 SHOULD ISAAC
BE AN OBJECT OF
SACRIFICE?

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Mary’s story

 Asociety.
young woman who is inhabiting a

 Mary bears the son of God, Jesus

Christ.
 She bears a child out of wedlock.
 She married Joseph.
 Mary’s
Abraham.
story can be understood like

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 “
In our understanding about Abraham &
Mary’s story, we’re opening ourselves to a
possibility of getting a lot more out of the
story & we can relate it to our own lives.
Where we may be encountering the
anxiety, distress & the paradox.

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 THANK YOU 
Hope you learned a lot!

Submitted by: Leandro Locsin

Group

 Shayne Chinnyreth G. Galo

 Beatriz Arden E. De Leon

 Jereza Riana S. Guanzon

 Leah Rose C. Lameza

 Julienne Marie C. Libang

 Chesca Tresvalles

Submitted to: PhD Alejandro Tenorio

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