Reflections of the Existence States That Would Make Being Oneself Possible in the Current Age in Kierkegaard’s Philosophy

Authors : Sibel Kadıoğlu, Emel Koç

Pages : 923-948

Doi:10.20981/kaygi.1669017

View : 41 | Download : 57

Publication Date : 2025-09-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Kierkegaard, one of the most important thinkers of 19th century Europe, marks a turning point in the history of philosophy, both in his life and in his ideas that transcend his time. Kierkegaard’s critical approach to modern philosophy and Enlightenment thought, considered the starting point for existential philosophy, also formed the basis for his understanding of truth and ethics. Kierkegaard’s views on truth, ethics, and religion essentially focus on a single problem, the problem of ‘being oneself’. Kierkegaard sees ‘being oneself’ not as an abstract, rational essence or ideal, but as a concrete, existential, vital state of being. To what extent is it possible to ‘being oneself’, which in Kierkegaard’s philosophy of existence stands out as a possibility for modern people? Kierkegaard addressed the problem of ‘being oneself’ on an existential basis, questioning it within the perils of the age he envisioned and seeking a solution. In Kierkegaard\\\'s philosophy, there are important states of existence that will bring the possibility of ‘being oneself’ which is described in various ways within aesthetic, ethical, and religious realms of existence, to our time. These states of existence that will create the possibility for the contemporary individual to ‘being oneself\\\' can be listed as individuality, freedom, interiority, passion, attachment, fear, pain and hopelessness.
Keywords : Kierkegaard, Kendi Olma, Kaygı, Acı, Umutsuzluk

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