Many of the philosophers we’ve covered recently are from ancient times, and while religion might have shaped their views, they weren’t inherently religious philosophers. But then you have Søren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher and Lutheran theologian who was also a poet, satirist, social critic and religious author. He not only had “major influence” on existentialism in the 20th century, but also on Protestant theology, according to Britannica. He was someone who explored ideas of self-doubt and questioned his religion and faith, while also becoming deeply involved in it.
As the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP) reported, Kierkegaard (1813-1855) is considered “the father of existentialism,” and he believed that “how one lives one’s life [is] the prime criterion of being in the truth.” His role models were Socrates and Jesus Christ, and those two tenets—philosophy and Christianity—seemed to really influence his writings and ideas.
According to the IEP, existentialism is a very loose, “catch-all” term for philosophical ideas that “consider the nature of the human condition as a key philosophical problem,” and they believed that the best way to address these issues was through ontology, or looking at the nature of being or existing. Kind of like the concept behind an “existential crisis,” when you focus on your own existence and how it fits into the grander scheme of life and the universe, it might induce a crushing weight of doom or dread.
Kierkegaard had a “peculiar authorship,” per the IEP, which consisted of “a baffling array of different narrative points of view and disciplinary subject matter.” This adds to the consensus that he was “very difficult to understand,” Dr. Brian T. Kelly wrote for Thomas Aquinas College. Regardless, his works inspired many different people, from Friedrich Nietzsche to Albert Camus, Franz Kafka to Franklin D. Roosevelt. And maybe our quote of the day from Kierkegaard’s extensive journals will inspire you to live your life in a way that progresses you forward.
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Quote of the Day by Søren Kierkegaard
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“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
Several variations of this quote exist, thanks to different translations of the original Danish text. This (more famous) version of Kierkegaard’s words comes from a longer (lesser-known) sentiment from Kierkegaard’s Journals and Notebooks, Volume 6: Journals. The quote is dated 1843 in the section “JOURNAL NB 11: 115–121,” and the full passage reads:
“It is quite true what philosophy says, that life must be understood backwards. But then one forgets the other principle, that it must be lived forwards. Which principle, the more one thinks it through, ends exactly with temporal life never being able properly to be understood, precisely because I can at no instant find complete rest to adopt the position: backwards”
As Princeton University Press reported, “Kierkegaard has long been recognized as one of history’s great journal keepers,” though they do note that these were less “diary” entries for himself and they were more so “reflections on a myriad of subjects—philosophical, religious, political, personal.” He seemingly put many quick, concise, almost quotable lines in his journals, seemingly on purpose to make them more of a source of inspiration, even though he didn’t publish them.
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Deeper Meaning of Søren Kierkegaard’s Quote—You Can’t Progress by Looking Backwards
It’s a pretty widely accepted concept that hindsight is 20/20. You can’t tell the future, but you can look back at past events and analyze things that have happened to better understand your personal history. You can’t “understand” the future (because you don’t know what’s going to happen), but you can learn from what you’ve endured. But in doing so, if you exist in the past, you can’t advance in your goals or your life.
This quote expertly shares two universal truths: you can only learn from your past, but you can only live life by going forward.
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More Quotes from Søren Kierkegaard
- “Faith is the highest passion in a human being. Many in every generation may not come that far, but none comes further.”
- “The tyrant dies and his rule is over; the martyr dies and his rule begins.”
- “Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it.”
- “Once a man acts in a decisive sense and comes out into reality, existence can get a grip on him and providence educate him.”
- “Death cannot explain itself. The earnestness consists precisely in this, that the observer must explain it to himself.”
- “Geniuses are like thunderstorms. They go against the wind, terrify people, cleanse the air.”
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