SØREN KIERKEGAARD AND THE CHALLENGE OF EXISTENCE

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "SØREN KIERKEGAARD AND THE CHALLENGE OF EXISTENCE"

Erik Fleming
5 years ago
Views:

1 SØREN KIERKEGAARD AND THE CHALLENGE OF EXISTENCE SØREN KIERKEGAARD AND THE CHALLENGE OF EXISTENCE is a course in English for all international students, which has been offered each semester during the past ten years. Students are admitted according to the date they hand in the registration form. Kierkegaard is the only Danish philosopher of undisputed international rank and legend. However, his ideas are unorthodox to such extent that they are discussed in virtually all subject areas including, for example, art history, political science, psychology, literature or the natural sciences. Kierkegaard s works revolve around basic human experiences like aesthetic lust, despair, anxiety, morality, passion, knowledge, absurdity and faith. In particular, Kierkegaard claimed to present a complete summary of the basic possible ways in which we can live our lives. We will analyze and criticize these ways thoroughly in order to find out to what extent they may give us a true point of orientation. Every lecture presupposes a short reading of not more than five pages and will provide sufficient room for discussion. The course also integrates a City Walk through Kierkegaard s odd personal life as well as the screening of two of the best, deeply Kierkegaardian Danish movies: Breaking the Waves and Adam s Apples. The lectures do not presuppose specialized knowledge and will introduce the respective themes without jargon. The short essays (no minimum number of pages) can be composed freely and do not have to be philosophical. They can be submitted in English or in German. Individual student counseling of the lecturer will be available.

2 Location: Time: University of Copenhagen, Amager, Karen Blixens Plads 8, room 15A-2-11 Mondays from 4 to 6 p.m. First lecture is February 18 th and last lecture is May 6 th. Furthermore, there will be one excursion and two film screenings. The excursion will be on Sunday February 24 th. The film screenings will be on Monday March 3 rd and April 1 st immediately after the lecture. A total of 10 lectures and 3 excursions or other relevant activities. Coordinator: The course is organised by The Saxo Institute. The coordinator is Ulrich Knappe, Danish Culture Courses, University of Copenhagen. Lecturer: Assistants: Website: Facebook: Ulrich Knappe, Danish Culture Courses There will be a teaching assistant from Danish Culture Courses, who will assist with practical matters. dcc@hum.ku.dk Registration: Find the registration form on our website, fill it in electronically and send it to dcc@hum.ku.dk from your KU-mail. The deadline is March 7 th The course is only offered to international students enrolled at the University of Copenhagen through IUS (International Education & Grants) or through Open University: We can only admit 60 students at this course. Students will be admitted according to the date, they hand in the registration form. Exchange students can sign up for a maximum of 35 ECTS points at the UCPH per semester. If you wish to join this course but your enrollment in it will make your total amount of ECTS exceed the 35 ECTS limit, please contact the department(s) of the course(s) you re registered for, and ask to be withdrawn in order to make room for it. Once you have room for the 15 ECTS, please fill in the registration form and send it to dcc@hum.ku.dk from your KU-mail, and we will. The registration deadline is March 7 th Examination: When you register for the course you are automatically registered for the exam. Danish Literature and Philosophy in Context of Danish Culture and Society HDCB01051E:

3 Form of exam: Written take-home assignment, optional subject, following active student participation (see special provisions). The subject of the assignment is agreed between the student and the teacher. Assessment: Internal exam with one examiner, the 7-point grading scale. Exam language: English. Extent: Max. 20 standard pages. Group exam: The exam can only be taken individually. Special provisions: Active student participation consists of a synopsis of 2-3 standard pages. Make-up exam/re-exam (if not fulfilling requirement for active student participation): Written take-home assignment, optional subject. The subject of the assignment is agreed between the student and the teacher. Assessment: Internal exam with one examiner, the 7-point grading scale. Exam language: English. Extent: standard pages. Group exam: The exam can only be taken individually The assignment must be uploaded in Digital Exam no later than June 6 th at 12 p.m. (noon). After evaluation of the exam the grade or result is automatically added to your transcript and reported to your home university by IUS (International Education & Grants). The grade will be published on KUnet Self Service four weeks after deadline for submission of exam paper. Literature: Your personal syllabus will be the required readings available for download in Absalon. A collection of pertinent books are available in the reference library. These books are only to be studied in the library, cf. list of books, which you can find in the Absalon room. The location is Saxo Knowledge Centre 13B 2 nd floor at KUA2. IMPORTANT DATES: Mar. 7 th : Deadline for registration, change of exams and withdrawal. May 6 th : May 16 th : Jun. 6 th : Deadline for uploading approved synopsis on Absalon. End-of-term celebration Deadline for submission of exam papers at 12 p.m. (noon) in Digital Exam.

4 SCHEDULE Feb. 18 th Lecture 1: Introduction and Overview to the course Feb. 24 th Excursion: City Walk: Kierkegaard in Copenhagen Feb. 25 th Lecture 2: Finding the Idea for Which I am Willing to Live and Die Mar. 4 th Lecture 3: [Im] purity of Heart Mar. 11 th Lecture 4: Despair Mar. 18 th Lecture 5: Is Abraham a Murderer? Mar. 18 th Excursion: Film: Breaking the Waves, Lars Von Trier Mar. 25 th Lecture 6: Fear and Trembling revisited Apr. 1 st Lecture 7: Passion Apr. 1 st Excursion: Film: Adam s Apples Apr. 8 th Lecture 8: Absurdity Apr. 29 th Lecture 9: Kierkegaard and Socrates May 6 th Lecture 10: What is Existentialism? Summary and Conclusions The programme is subject to alteration.

5 PROGRAMME Lecture 1: (Feb. 18 th ) Excursion: (Feb. 24 th ) Lecture 2: (Feb. 25 th ) Introduction and Overview to the Course Kierkegaard in Copenhagen We will visit some of the places Kierkegaard frequented as well as some of his former residences in Copenhagen. By doing so, we will get to know details of his odd personal life. We will end the tour in one of Kierkegaard s apartments, which, happily, is now a café. Finding the Idea for Which I am Willing to Live and Die. As a concrete approach to Kierkegaard s thinking, we will analyse two very famous journal entries from his time as a student. Many themes that concerned him throughout his life are neatly portrayed here. First of all, understanding these themes will give us a more substantial introduction to the major topics to be discussed in the remainder of the course. Secondly, they will give us a point of departure for highlighting significant phases of his biography. Expected reading in the binder: Selected early entries from Kierkegaard s journals and papers. Lecture 3: (Mar. 4 th ) [Im] purity of Heart For the most part we do not live up to our truthful ideals. Kierkegaard calls this an aesthetic existence. In the writing Purity of Heart he presents such attitude as double-mindedness. In this lecture, we will analyse the main features of such view on life. Expected reading in the binder: Purity of heart is to will one thing. (An Occasional Discourse). Lecture 4: (Mar. 11 th ) Despair Another aspect of an aesthetic existence is despair. Kierkegaard conceives of it as a spiritual disease. We will look into the corresponding account of our personal failure by interpreting passages from Sickness unto Death. Expected reading in the binder: Despair is the sickness unto death. Lecture 5: (Mar. 18 th ) Is Abraham a Murderer? In Fear and Trembling Kierkegaard puts forward two crucial existential ideals in order to remedy double-mindedness and despair : the ethical and the religious life views. Even though ethicality renders some true point of orientation, he argues that there might be situations where we need to give up morality in favour of faith. This is put forward dramatically in an ingenious and unorthodox reinterpretation of a story in the bible (Genesis,

6 ch. 22) where Abraham intends to kill his son, Isaac. However, if Abraham is a murderer, faith does not exist, Kierkegaard maintains... Expected reading in the binder: Fear and Trembling: Problema I Excursion: Film: Breaking the Waves, Lars von Trier (After lecture 5) (Mar. 18 th ) Lars von Trier s dogma movie reflects many ideas of Kierkegaard s Fear and Trembling. It will provide us with a modern perspective on the issue since Beth, the main character of the film, is in a similar situation as Abraham. Location: 15A-2-11 Lecture 6: (Mar. 25 th ) Fear and Trembling revisited Kierkegaard immodestly said that if he had written this work only, he would have already become world famous. Indeed, Fear and Trembling is a complex work that puts forward many interesting nuances of Kierkegaard s theory of existence. We will dwell on them and will at the same time compare the writing with Lars von Trier s movie. Expected reading in the binder: Fear and Trembling: Problema I (and II) Lecture 7: Passion (Apr. 1 tst ) According to Kierkegaard, a crucial concept that illuminates authentic/faithful existence is passion. We will try to understand its nature by looking at the contrast in Concluding Unscientific Postscript between passionate thinking and unengaged/scientific thinking. Expected reading in binder: Concluding Unscientific Postscript (Subjective Truth, Inwardness, pp ). Excursion: Film: Adam s Apples (After lecture 7) (Apr. 1 st ) This funny but at the same time dramatic masterpiece will help us focusing upon passion. Ivan, a small-town priest and head of the community, believes firmly and boldly in the goodness of man. By meeting the misanthropic Neo-Nazi gang leader Adam, a fascinating transformation of both men is set in motion. Location: 15A-2-11

7 Lecture 8: (Apr. 8 th ) Absurdity One of the most fascinating aspects of Kierkegaard s conception of authentic existence is its abandonment of ordinary standards of rationality. Correspondingly, to become authentic runs the risk of committing to peculiar absurdities in our life, and these we will investigate by means of some further readings from Concluding Unscientific Postscript. Expected reading in the binder: Concluding Unscientific Postscript (Subjective Truth, Inwardness, pp & The Issue in Fragments, pp ) Lecture 9: (Apr. 29 th ) Kierkegaard and Socrates Kierkegaard s relation to Socrates is of perennial importance in order to understand his thinking. We will critically evaluate this relation by means of discussing the very last words of his authorship where he acknowledges his Socratic inheritance Expected reading in binder: Fædrelandet Articles, The Moment. Lecture 10: (May 6 th ) What is Existentialism? Summary and Conclusions In our final lecture we will review the central contents and problems of the earlier lectures. In this way, Kierkegaard s overall train of thought will be coherently presented and brought into historical perspective. Thereby we will be oriented towards the question why and how Kierkegaard s thinking is often understood as being existentialistic.

8 ADDRESSES Danish Culture Courses Contact Information; Lecturer: Course Coordinator: Ulrich Knappe, Danish Culture Courses Contact for General Questions: Assistants: Elisabeth LB Andersen Tómas Terney Arason Mathilde Duedahl Jørgensen Annette Klaaborg Amalie Witt Skovhus Bjørn Søndergaard Anna Olivia Høite Andrea Aallmann Thomas Møll Bramming Karen Blixens Plads 8, room Director: Per Methner Rasmussen, The Saxo Institute. Karen Blixens Plads 8, room DK-2300 København S pmr@hum.ku.dk Web-site: Facebook: Exam Secretary: Maria Christina Frantzoulis The Saxo Institute. Karen Blixens Plads 8, room DK-2300 København S frantzoulis@hum.ku.dk IUS (International Education & Grants) International Uddannelse og SU Fiolstræde 1 Postboks 1143 DK-1010 København K Phone:

SØREN KIERKEGAARD AND THE CHALLENGE OF EXISTENCE

SØREN KIERKEGAARD AND THE CHALLENGE OF EXISTENCE Kierkegaard and the Challenge of Existence is a course in English for all international students offered each semester. Søren Kierkegaard is a fascinating