Tim Pfefferle

Kierkegaard's Paradox of Faith and the Single Individual Tim Pfefferle

Essay from the year 2013 in the subject Philosophy - Philosophy of the 19th Century, grade: A-, University of Miami (Department of Philosophy), course: 19th Century Philosophy, language: English, abstract: In Fear and Trembling, Søren Kierkegaard's pseudonymous author Johannes de Silentio deals with the question about the nature of true faith. De Silentio indicates that true faith can only be arrived at through the individual and his engagement with the paradox of faith. Thus, only the single individual, as termed by de Silentio, is capable to stand in a true relationship to God. In the following, I will aim to explain the concept of the single individual as well as what de Silentio means by the paradox of faith. I will relate this to the story of as it figures in de Silentio's account of the paradox and the distinction between the tragic hero and the knight of faith. In this discussion, the concepts of interiority and exteriority, subjectivity, and mediation will be associated with the broader explanation.