Soren Kierkegaard
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Danish theologian-philosopher (1813-1855), commonly regarded as the father of existentialism. Argued that truth is subjective — what matters is how passionately and authentically one lives, not abstract system-building.
Three life-stages: aesthetic (pleasure), ethical (duty), religious (faith).
"Leap of faith" — religious commitment cannot be rationally justified, only chosen.
Anxiety (Angst) is the dizziness of freedom — the recognition of infinite possibility.
Truth is subjectivity: the authentic how matters more than the propositional what.
I opened my eyes and saw the real world - and I began to laugh and I haven't stopped since.
Laugh at the world's foolishness and you'll regret it, cry at the world's foolishness and you'll regret it. The ony intelligent response to life's horror is to laugh at it
Life can only be understood backwards, but made forwards. Our constant angst mean unhappiness is more or less written into the script of life.
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