The Quotable Kier ke gaard The QuoTable Kier Keg aard Edited by Gordon Marino PrinceTon universiTy Press PrinceTon and oxford Copyright © 2014 by Gordon Marino Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to Permissions, Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 6 Oxford Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TW press.princeton.edu All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kierkegaard, Søren, 1813–1855. [Works. Selections. English. 2013] The quotable Kierkegaard / edited by Gordon Marino. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. Summary: “Why I so much prefer autumn to spring is that in the autumn one looks at heaven—in the spring at the earth.”—Søren Kierkegaard. The father of existential- ism, Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) was a philosopher who could write like an angel. With only a sentence or two, he could plumb the depths of the human spirit. In this collection of some 800 quotations, the reader will find dazzling bon mots next to words of life-changing power. Drawing from the authoritative Princeton editions of Kierkegaard’s writings, this book presents a broad selection of his wit and wisdom, as well as a stimulating introduction to his life and work. Organized by topic, this volume covers notable Kierkegaardian concerns such as anxiety, despair, existence, irony, and the absurd, but also erotic love, the press, busyness, and the comic. Here readers will encounter both well-known quotations (“Life must be understood back- ward. But then one forgets the other principle, that it must be lived forward”) and obscure ones (“Beware false prophets who come to you in wolves’ clothing but in- wardly are sheep—i.e., the phrasemongers”). Those who spend time in these pages will discover the writer who said, “my grief is my castle,” but who also taught that “the best defense against hypocrisy is love.” Illuminating and delightful, this engag- ing book also provides a substantial portrait of one of the most influential of modern thinkers. Gathers some 800 quotations Drawn from the authoritative Princeton edi- tions of Kierkegaard’s writings Includes an introduction, a brief account and time- line of Kierkegaard’s life, a guide to further reading, and an index”— Provided by publisher. ISBN 978-0-691-15530-2 (hardback) 1. Kierkegaard, Søren, 1813–1855—Quotations. I. Marino, Gordon Daniel, 1952– II. Title. B4372.E5 2013 198ʹ.9—dc23 2013034354p4 British Library Cataloging- in- Publication Data is available This book has been composed in Minion Pro and Trade Gothic Printed on acid- free paper. ∞ Printed in the United States of America 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 This book is dedicated to my beloved sons, Paul and Philip. May tenderness and conviction continue to steer your lives. Contents Acknowledgments xi Introduction xiii Kier ke gaard’s Biography xlv Sources and Abbreviations lvii Chronology lxi Autobiographical 1 Observations 18 Anxiety 65 Depression/Melancholy 69 Self/Spirit 73 Despair 83 Freedom 89 Possibility 92 Choice/Decision 94 The Ethical 97 Deception/Self- Deception 101 Guilt 104 Envy 106 viii conTenTs The Poet 109 Erotic Love 111 Silence 113 Authority 117 Genius 119 Writing/Communication 121 The Press 124 Science 126 Philosophy 128 Existence 133 The Absurd 135 Paradox 137 The Understanding/Reason/Knowledge 139 Truth 143 Time 147 Eternal 149 Death 151 Immortality 155 Repetition 156 Busyness 157 The Individual 159 Laughter/Humor/The Comic 161 The Tragic 163 Irony 164 God 167 Faith 176 Passion 183 conTenTs ix Prayer 184 Earnestness/Seriousness 186 Sin 190 Demonic 192 Repentance/Forgiveness 194 Christ 197 Love 199 Suffering 207 Neighbor 208 Christianity 210 Bibliography 219 Index 221