The Philosophical Community As The Father Of Existentialism

Soren Kierkegaard is known, almost universally, in the philosophical community as the Father of Existentialism. His works all seek to answer a fundamental question of existence, one that plagued humanity since the times of Aristotle and beyond; How should we life our lives? More specifically in his publication, Either/Or, Kierkegaard introduces two life philosophies, one of the aesthetic and one of the ethic. These viewpoints, argued and symbolized by two characters, â€Å"A†, and Judge Wilhelm. Kierkegaard uses these characters as vehicles for explaining the two viewpoints but does not actually take a side, instead leaving his true intentions ambiguous. A’s and Judge Wilhelm’s philosophies, on the surface, look fundamentally different, however, looking past what they are explicitly stating, a deeper realization emerges. That being A and Judge Wilhelm are actually two sides of the same coin. Bounded by, and implicitly frightened by what Kierkegaard calls boredom, or, in other works of his, as despair. Either/Or presents itself much like a debate, starting with A’s point of view and having the Judge retaliate after. A’s philosophy falls under what Kierkegaard calls the aesthete, someone who regards boredom as the root of all evil and avoids it like the plague. A’s solution to this boredom is Rotation Method. A states, â€Å"Just as a farmer rotates the crops to keep the soil fertile, so must a man forever change himself in order to remain interesting.† Under this philosophy A protestsShow MoreRelatedThe Relationship Between Gregor and Samsa Essay1670 Words   |  7 Pagesthe meaning and purpose of existence, Franz Kafka is one to be noted and studied. A follower of the existentialism movement, he made it a point explore existential philosophy in his literary works. 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