Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher. He belonged to a family of seven children. All but him and one older brother of his were killed. He convinced himself that he wouldn’t live long either. The brevity of his life struck him and led him to be convinced that every moment matters. He lived his life with this persistent sense of urgency. His literary production in the short span of his life as an author can only be described as prodigious. He saw himself as a religious rather than a philosophical writer and he wanted people to be convinced of what he professes to believe. His writings tend to this end.
This book is divided into eight chapters, each dealing with an aspect of life addressed by Kierkegaard. Quotes from his famous works are found throughout the book, thus giving the reader a personal insight into Kierkegaard’s views on the various topics.
The first chapter, entitled “How to wake up” reminds us that we are responsible for our lives. Kierkegaard feels that most people sleepwalk through life because they are afraid to face reality. Existential questions such as the ‘why’ of life are rarely asked. It seems that the purpose of life is to escape boredom. The second chapter, “How to See Through Things,” invites us to look below the surface of our lives and see what is truly important as opposed to what is peripheral. Kierkegaard warns us against becoming actors in the drama of our lives, unable to tell the real from the real.
Chapter three, “How to Avoid Living in the Past,” presents Kierkegaard’s solution as “living arbitrarily.” What he means is to enjoy the present without letting the past bother us. The search of trying to relive the past is useless. Instead, every moment should be lived well. He uses the illustration of reading a novel to emphasize his point. Can you get pleasure from reading a random chapter? The ability to do so would reflect one’s ability to live arbitrarily.
The chapter “How to cultivate dissatisfaction” can make us a little uneasy, since we tend to associate dissatisfaction with negativity. Kierkegaard is tired of people who are too content to live complacently. What he wants are people willing to challenge themselves and others to live authentically. Chapter five, “On Overthinking,” contains a warning against excessive rationalization that leads to inaction. emphasizes the role of silence in experiencing God and responding to suffering. He tells us that it is no use raising a cry when we suffer. Nobody likes moans. He presents the biblical figure, Job, as an example.
“How to deal with despair”, is a chapter dedicated to addressing this topic. For Kierkegaard, God is the solution. For Him everything is possible. There is no rational way out. Laughter is an aid to deal with despair. It makes life bearable. The last chapter, “How to think about death”, focuses on the ‘how’ to live. Kierkegaard urges living with a sense of urgency as life will come to an end. Keeping death in the back of our minds will help us live better. The book’s conclusion contains the author’s critical evaluation of Kierkegaard’s philosophy.
The flow of authors seems a bit confusing, although the excerpts are well chosen. The message it is intended to convey does not stand out vividly. This book is not for beginners in philosophy. It will prove useful for those interested in a deeper study of Kierkegaard. The section titled ‘Homework’ is designed as a project. It encourages broader and deeper reading, reflection, comparison and critical evaluation. A couple of pages for personal notes give the book a workbook style.