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Kierkegaard's Philosophical Fragments
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 March 2026
Summary
This Element is a critical analysis of Kierkegaard's Philosophical Fragments, attributed to the pseudonymous author Johannes Climacus. The philosophical content of Kierkegaard's work is developed in the form of an ironical, humorous jest in which Climacus pretends to invent a philosophical view that he claims cannot be humanly invented, and which bears a strong resemblance to Christian faith. The invention is proposed as an alternative to “the Socratic view” of the Truth that, if possessed, leads to eternal life. The crucial underlying issue is whether eternal life could be linked to history. This Element explores the purpose of this literary form, and its relation to the philosophical content, highlighting the importance of Fragments for philosophy of religion, theology, and even the contemporary relation of religion to politics and culture, and arguing that Kierkegaard's view is not a form of irrational fideism.
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- Online ISBN: 9781009550741Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication: 23 April 2026
Bibliography
Primary Sources
The definitive critical edition of Kierkegaard’s writings is the following: Søren Kierkegaards Skrifter, N. J. Cappelørn et al. (eds), Copenhagen: Gad, 1997–2013, 55 volumes. Also available online at: www.sks.dk/Google Scholar
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Secondary Sources
The definitive critical edition of Kierkegaard’s writings is the following: Søren Kierkegaards Skrifter, N. J. Cappelørn et al. (eds), Copenhagen: Gad, 1997–2013, 55 volumes. Also available online at: www.sks.dk/Google Scholar
Søren Kierkegaard’s Journals and Papers, 7 Vols., ed. and trans. Howard V. Hong. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1967–78.Google Scholar
Kierkegaard’s Journals and Notebooks, 11 vols., ed. by Bruce H. Kirmmse, trans. Alastair Hannay et al. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2007–2020.Google Scholar
The most used English translations for Kierkegaard’s works is the Kierkegaard’s Writings series published by Princeton University Press under the general editorship of Howard V. and Edna. H. Hong. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1978–2000.Google Scholar
Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments, 2 vols., ed. and trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992.Google Scholar
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