Self, Other, and God in Kierkegaard’s Thought

Individualism can be said to be one of the pillars of existentialism, and Kierkegaard was a thinker who played an important role in explicating individualism in modern philosophy. In his works, he always regarded humans as isolated individuals, placing him in opposition to social philosophy, which had been developed under the influence of Hegel. On the other hand, instead of focusing on ideas, he was devoted to “what is,” and from this perspective, he also saw himself as opposed to Hegel’s philosophy. These two pillars of Kierkegaard’s thought led him to open a path in philosophy that centered on the human being and addressed issues specific to individuals. He fulfilled his role in this regard and made significant efforts to clarify and resolve these issues. Among the most important issues for any human being are their relationships with themselves, others, and God. From Kierkegaard’s viewpoint, these relationships present three fundamental and essential problems. Every human being inevitably has to recognize and endeavor to resolve issues related to understanding themselves, others, and God and the relationships formed among these entities. The present study shows what novel ideas and theories Kierkegaard advanced regarding these three subjects and how, from his perspective, the issues ahead would be organized.