Philosophical Fragments/Johannes Climacus : Kierkegaard's Writings, Vol 7

Rating:
Summary: One of Kierkegaard's most essential works
Review: If one were to read only two or three of Kierkegaard's works, this is unquestionably one of the ones to read. In this work and in its successor, Kierkegaard, employing the pseudonym of Johannes Climacus, seeks to explain the nature of Christianity in such as way as to bring out its demands on the individual, and to emphasize its incompatibility with the theology based on the work of Hegel that was becoming progressively more influential in Denmark (and in the rest of the world as well). In PHILOSOPHICAL FRAGMENTS, Kierkegaard explains through his pseudonym, he wants to present the problem of Christianity "algebraically" (i.e., logically), while in the ironically titled CONCLUDING UNSCIENTIFIC POSTSCRIPT TO THE PHILOSOPHICAL FRAGMENTS (ironic because the earlier book is quite short, while the POSTSCRIPT is four times longer) intends to "clothe the problem in historical dress." What Kierkegaard purports to do in this brief book is present the logic of Christianity.

The title is badly translated in all English editions, being a Biblical reference, to the story of the rich man Dives and Lazarus. Just as the poor man Lazarus had to be content with the crumbs from the rich man's table, so Johannes Climacus, who passionately denies that he has any contributions whatsoever to make to the grand Hegelian System, claims to be content with mere philosophical crumbs. For some reason, no publisher or translator has been willing to employ the more accurate if less palatable PHILOSOPHICAL CRUMBS.

Johannes Climacus presents the heart of the conflict between Hegel and Christianity in the first chapter. In Hegelian thought, Jesus in essence is viewed as the non-unique Son of God, and sees him as important for his teachings and the example for others for a transition to all people potentially becoming children of God. The emphasis is on the teachings, and the "truth" of Jesus can be construed as that which he taught. Kierkegaard thinks this is profoundly mistaken, and tries to get at the problem by a thought project that opens the book. Kierkegaard contrasts two kinds of teacher. One is the kind of teacher found in Socrates, where he is able to assist others in learning things because they already had the capacity to learn them. In the case of the Socratic teacher, the individual instructor is not essential to learning the truth. But Kierkegaard asks us to consider a second kind of teacher, one who not merely teaches us the truth, but provides the conditions for making such learning possible. This second kind of teacher is essential to someone learning the Truth, and it is this kind of teacher that Kierkegaard sees as representing Christ. The problem, as Kierkegaard understands it, is that we are separated from God by sin, and therefore we are in a position of needing to be restored to a relationship with God before coming to know God. Jesus is therefore not an accidental teacher of truths of a divine nature, but himself the essential foundation for anyone wanting to come to know God. In other words, for Kierkegaard, Christianity is an event and not a set of teachings: the incarnation of God in Christ as opposed to the things he wanted to teach us.

The remainder of the book explicates this essential distinction between the Christ of Christianity and the Jesus of Hegel. In particular, he deals with the question of the "disciple at second hand" versus the "contemporary disciple." This is essential to consider because while Hegel is thought to take history seriously, his Jesus becomes nonhistorical, while Kierkegaard is intent on emphasizing his historicity.

This is essential Kierkegaard, and along with the CONCLUDING UNSCIENTIFIC POSTSCRIPT and THE SICKNESS UNTO DEATH, my own favorites among his writings. One cannot understand Kierkegaard's thought without reading this book, and along with its sequel represents the heart of what he was trying to achieve in what he called his "Authorship."

Rating:
Summary: One of Kierkegaard's most essential works
Review: If one were to read only two or three of Kierkegaard's works, this is unquestionably one of the ones to read. In this work and in its successor, Kierkegaard, employing the pseudonym of Johannes Climacus, seeks to explain the nature of Christianity in such as way as to bring out its demands on the individual, and to emphasize its incompatibility with the theology based on the work of Hegel that was becoming progressively more influential in Denmark (and in the rest of the world as well). In PHILOSOPHICAL FRAGMENTS, Kierkegaard explains through his pseudonym, he wants to present the problem of Christianity "algebraically" (i.e., logically), while in the ironically titled CONCLUDING UNSCIENTIFIC POSTSCRIPT TO THE PHILOSOPHICAL FRAGMENTS (ironic because the earlier book is quite short, while the POSTSCRIPT is four times longer) intends to "clothe the problem in historical dress." What Kierkegaard purports to do in this brief book is present the logic of Christianity.

The title is badly translated in all English editions, being a Biblical reference, to the story of the rich man Dives and Lazarus. Just as the poor man Lazarus had to be content with the crumbs from the rich man's table, so Johannes Climacus, who passionately denies that he has any contributions whatsoever to make to the grand Hegelian System, claims to be content with mere philosophical crumbs. For some reason, no publisher or translator has been willing to employ the more accurate if less palatable PHILOSOPHICAL CRUMBS.

Johannes Climacus presents the heart of the conflict between Hegel and Christianity in the first chapter. In Hegelian thought, Jesus in essence is viewed as the non-unique Son of God, and sees him as important for his teachings and the example for others for a transition to all people potentially becoming children of God. The emphasis is on the teachings, and the "truth" of Jesus can be construed as that which he taught. Kierkegaard thinks this is profoundly mistaken, and tries to get at the problem by a thought project that opens the book. Kierkegaard contrasts two kinds of teacher. One is the kind of teacher found in Socrates, where he is able to assist others in learning things because they already had the capacity to learn them. In the case of the Socratic teacher, the individual instructor is not essential to learning the truth. But Kierkegaard asks us to consider a second kind of teacher, one who not merely teaches us the truth, but provides the conditions for making such learning possible. This second kind of teacher is essential to someone learning the Truth, and it is this kind of teacher that Kierkegaard sees as representing Christ. The problem, as Kierkegaard understands it, is that we are separated from God by sin, and therefore we are in a position of needing to be restored to a relationship with God before coming to know God. Jesus is therefore not an accidental teacher of truths of a divine nature, but himself the essential foundation for anyone wanting to come to know God. In other words, for Kierkegaard, Christianity is an event and not a set of teachings: the incarnation of God in Christ as opposed to the things he wanted to teach us.

The remainder of the book explicates this essential distinction between the Christ of Christianity and the Jesus of Hegel. In particular, he deals with the question of the "disciple at second hand" versus the "contemporary disciple." This is essential to consider because while Hegel is thought to take history seriously, his Jesus becomes nonhistorical, while Kierkegaard is intent on emphasizing his historicity.

This is essential Kierkegaard, and along with the CONCLUDING UNSCIENTIFIC POSTSCRIPT and THE SICKNESS UNTO DEATH, my own favorites among his writings. One cannot understand Kierkegaard's thought without reading this book, and along with its sequel represents the heart of what he was trying to achieve in what he called his "Authorship."

Rating:
Summary: Precursor to _Concluding Unscientific Postscript_
Review: _Philosophical Fragments/Johannes Climacus_ is essential reading for anyone who wishes to read the sequel, _Concluding Unscientific Postscript_, which is arguably Kierkegaard's most important work. This first volume, even taken by itself, is still a valuble, well written, and entertaining work. But its primary purpose is to establish the personality of Kierkegaard's infamous, neurotic character "Johannes Climacus", the pseudonym under which he wrote this book as well as the monumental _Postscript_. It is very important that any Kierkegaard scholar realize the author's intentions behind the creation of the Johannes Climacus character, and the exact relationship between Kierkegaard's real views and the often-antithetical, illogical, absurd, and even farcical views of his pseudonymous alter-ego. In this book, the character of Johannes Climacus is established, and the careful reader should be able to identify the discrepency between Climacus' ideas and Kierkegaard's real ideas. This characterization process is very interesting and makes for a good read, but to get the full effect you must also read _Concluding Unscientific Postscript_, in which the reader is treated to the full effect of the neurotic ramblings of Kierkegaard's alter-ego.

Rating:
Summary: Precursor to _Concluding Unscientific Postscript_
Review: _Philosophical Fragments/Johannes Climacus_ is essential reading for anyone who wishes to read the sequel, _Concluding Unscientific Postscript_, which is arguably Kierkegaard's most important work. This first volume, even taken by itself, is still a valuble, well written, and entertaining work. But its primary purpose is to establish the personality of Kierkegaard's infamous, neurotic character "Johannes Climacus", the pseudonym under which he wrote this book as well as the monumental _Postscript_. It is very important that any Kierkegaard scholar realize the author's intentions behind the creation of the Johannes Climacus character, and the exact relationship between Kierkegaard's real views and the often-antithetical, illogical, absurd, and even farcical views of his pseudonymous alter-ego. In this book, the character of Johannes Climacus is established, and the careful reader should be able to identify the discrepency between Climacus' ideas and Kierkegaard's real ideas. This characterization process is very interesting and makes for a good read, but to get the full effect you must also read _Concluding Unscientific Postscript_, in which the reader is treated to the full effect of the neurotic ramblings of Kierkegaard's alter-ego.