Syllabus
February 18
Introduction - The Corpus of Kierkegaard.
Reading:
On My Work as an Author, pp. 449-454.
February 25
Ontology and the supposedly non-ontological work of the "religious author" Kierkegaard.
Reading:
Repetition, pp. 102-115.
March 3
The notion of existence. Traditional conceptions of existence. Heidegger's critique.
Reading:
Fear and Trembling, pp. 93-101.
March 10
Bonus Lecture, On Kierkegaard's Obsession with the name Johannes
March 17
Spirit and synthesis. Essentialist conceptions of Kierkegaard's anthropology.
Reading:
The Sickness Unto Death, pp. 351-372.
March 24
Temporal synthesis. Spirit and the moment.
Reading:
Concept of Anxiety, pp. 138-155.
March 31
Critique of the conception of synthesis and existence in secondary sources.
Reading:
Diapsalmata, pp. 38-46.
April 7
Bonus Lecture, Kierkegaard and Kafka, or the Eternal Land-Surveyor
April 14
Reading Week.
April 21
Phenomenological interpretation of the synthesis.
Reading:
Journal entry Gilleleie August 1, 1835, pp. 7-12.
April 28
Imagination, reflection, and the origin of the synthesis.
Reading:
Johannes Climacus, or De omnibus dubitandum est, pp. 126-137.
May 5
Chórismos. Groundlessness, absence of origin, and a new conception of existence.
Reading:
Philosophical Fragments, pp. 117-125.
May 12
Kierkegaard's ontology.
Reading:
Concluding Unscientific Postscript, pp. 187-241.
May 17
Test.
Annotation
This cycle of lecture is designed to provide a focused, in-depth and demanding introduction to Kierkegaard's philosophy. The goal is to approach Kierkegaard's notion of existence and use it as the interpretatory key to the whole of his authorship. Apart from 10 major lectures delivering a sustained interpretation of Kierkegaard's ontology, there will be 2 bonus lectures as detailed in the syllabus. The lectures will be delivered in English.
All compulsory readings are listed in the syllabus and the pagination refers to the Essential Kierkegaard antology.