The Sickness Unto Death — Søren Kierkegaard
Gurinder Purewal
Introduction
Kierkegaard (1941) discusses how the forms of despair must be identifiable by discussing the factors that create “the self” as a synthesis. The self is composed of two elements: infinity and finiteness. The self represents freedom. The synthesis is a connection that relates itself to itself, which means freedom. However, freedom is the dialectical component in the terms of necessity and possibility (Kierkegaard 1941).
The concept of despair must be perceived under the categorization of consciousness, as the issue in question is if despair is conscious or not. All despair is conscious; however, he who exists in despair is rightly conscious of the concept and despair they are confronted with. It is in this sense that consciousness is decisive (Kierkegaard 1941).
For example, consciousness (i.e. the consciousness “of self”) can be attributed to the criteria needed for the consciousness of the self to emerge. The more consciousness, the more self; the more consciousness, the more will; and the more will, the more self. A man who has no will at all is no self; the more will he has, the more consciousness of self he also has (Kierkegaard 1941).
Reading
Access the reading via the Internet Archive: The Sickness Unto Death (pp. 43–74) (Kierkegaard 1941)
Discussion Questions
Despair and Finitude/Infinitude
- How does Kierkegaard define “the self” in relation to the concepts of infinitude and finitude? What important role does despair play in this relationship? Use examples from the reading to support your claim.
Despair and Possibility/Necessity
- What do you think of the relationship and need for balance between the concepts of necessity and possibility? What are Kierkegaards views on this?
Despair and Mental Health
- Consider how Kierkegaard’s understanding of the concept of despair may have implications for mental health, identity crises, and mental well-being.
Bibliography
Kierkegaard, Søren. 1941. Sickness Unto Death. Translated with an introduction by Walter Lowrie. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. https://archive.org/embed/in.ernet.dli.2015.189042.
How to Cite This Page
Purewal, Gurinder. 2024. “The Sickness Unto Death — Søren Kierkegaard.” In Great Thinkers, edited by Gurinder Purewal and Jenna Woodrow. Kamloops, BC: TRU Open Press. https://greatthinkers.pressbooks.tru.ca/chapter/the-sickness-unto-death-kierkegaard/.
