Soren Kierkegaard
1813 – 1855 Danish philosopher, theologian
The father of existentialism, thinker of faith, dread, and the individual.
- Religion
- An intensely serious Christian who attacked the complacency of the official Danish Lutheran church and called for a personal leap of faith.
- Affiliations
- None. He worked alone and quarreled with the church establishment.
Kierkegaard placed the anxious, choosing individual at the center of philosophy, against the abstract systems of his day. He described faith as a leap beyond reason and explored dread, despair, and authentic selfhood. He is regarded as the first existentialist.