Fear and Trembling: Dialectical Lyric by Johannes De Silentio – Kierkegaard Soren (2014)

In Fear and Trembling, Soren Kierkegaard’s infamous and controversial work makes a lasting impression on both modern Protestant theology and existentialist philosophers such as Sartre and Camus. This Penguin Classics edition is translated from the Danish and includes an introduction by Alistair Hannay. Writing under the pseudonym Johannes de silentio, Kierkegaard presents his personal view of religion through a discussion of the scene in Genesis in which Abraham prepares to sacrifice his son Isaac at God’s command. He considers Abraham’s unreserved obedience the essential leap of faith required for a complete commitment to religion, while his own sacrifices enabled him to dedicate his life entirely to philosophy and God. The conviction expressed in this religious polemic—that a person can have an exceptional mission in life—informs Kierkegaard’s later writings. His concept of the “teleological suspension of the ethical” challenges Hegel’s universal moral system and strongly influences Protestant theology and the existentialist movement. Alastair Hannay’s introduction examines Kierkegaard’s philosophy and its conflict with more widely accepted contemporary views. The edition also contains detailed notes and a new chronology. Danish-born Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) writes on religion, psychology and literature. Remembered for pioneering the idea of the Absurd, he influences the development of twentieth-century existentialism. His other works include The Sickness unto Death, Either/Or, and Papers and Journals, all available in Penguin Classics. Readers who enjoy Fear and Trembling may also appreciate The Sickness unto Death.