"Fragments of Philosophy" by Søren Kierkegaard - known as the "father of existentialism" - examines the role of faith and religion.
Søren Kierkegaard's famous philosophical collection - Fragments of Philosophy (Danish title: Philospphiske Smuler, eller en Smule Philosophi ) was introduced to domestic readers in March, through the English translation by Nguyen Nguyen Phuoc.
In the book, Kierkegaard leads readers to study philosophy, deepening the relationship between religion, knowledge and history. Through this essay, the author concludes: Faith cannot be explained through knowledge or logic but can only be understood through its internal and self-nature. From there, he laid the foundation for existential philosophy.
Cover of "Philosophical Fragments". 330-page book, released at the end of March. Photo: Phanbook
Under the pen name Johannes Climacus, Kierkegaard analyzed philosophy based on the insights of many great philosophers. In the work, Kierkegaard sought to navigate the labyrinth of thought, exploring how religious belief intersected with reason. Through different perspectives, he invited readers to make an effort to understand the mysterious nature of belief and the elusiveness of truth.
According to the author, people are facing many challenges that arise from faith, from which they have to make many difficult decisions in life. Kierkegaard leaves the task of discovering the meaning of his works to the reader, because "only difficulties inspire noble hearts".
The work reads: "I cannot prove the existence of God by the order of things. If I tried to do so, I would never complete it, but would have to live in a state of waiting, uncertain, always afraid that something terrible would happen and cause my little proof to collapse."
Translator Nguyen Nguyen Phuoc commented: "Kierkegaard's book launched a series of hammer blows directly at Hegel's philosophical system. The work focused on attacking what it considered to be the biggest flaw of Hegel's philosophical system: Religion. Up to now, nearly two hundred years after its publication, Fragments of Philosophy is still considered a great and important work of philosophy and theology."
On Goodreads , the book has received mixed reviews from readers. Justin Evans said that Philosophical Fragments contains a wealth of philosophical knowledge. "Most of the topics discussed are theological: What is Christ, what is God, how do people relate to each other? These things are more complicated than you think," Evans wrote. However, some people commented that the book is difficult to read, especially for those who are new to existential philosophy.
Statue of Kierkegaard by Danish sculptor Louis Hasselriis, in the Royal Library in Copenhagen (Denmark). Photo: Tripadvisor
In Kierkegaard and Socrates: A Study in Philosophy and Faith (2006) by philosopher Jacob Howland, the author states that Kierkegaard preferred to use pseudonyms to present complex issues, each viewpoint would have a different pseudonym. In addition, the use of pseudonyms allowed Kierkegaard to distance himself from the ideas expressed in his work, creating a neutrality between his beliefs and the concepts he presented. Some of Kierkegaard's other pseudonyms include Johannes de Silentio, Inter et Inter.
Before Fragments of Philosophy, some of his works were translated into Vietnamese such as: Repetition, Awe and Trembling , Diary of a Seductress.
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