Hard Read: Soren Kierkegaard

Soren Kierkegaard was a Christian Danish philosopher who wanted to awaken his native country from its merely cultural Christianity. He is also notoriously difficult to read. This course will offer an opportunity for older high schoolers and adults interested in lifelong learning to work through two of Kierkegaard’s most famous texts, Fear and Trembling and The Sickness Unto Death, at a steady but unrushed pace. Students will learn about Kierkegaard’s time, mission, and philosophy as context for their reading.

Course Objectives:

1. Provide an overview of Kierkegaard’s life and philosophy.
2. Carefully read through Fear and Trembling.
3. Carefully read through The Sickness Unto Death.
4. Improve the skills of reading comprehension.
5. Understand and evaluate Kierkegaard’s claims about Christianity.
6. Move at a steady but not overwhelming pace.

Texts:

• Kierkegaard: An Introduction by C. Stephen Evans
• Fear and Trembling and The Sickness Unto Death by Soren Kierkegaard (ISBN:9780691158310)