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How Does Kierkegaard Postpone Our Choices

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“The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do; the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die” (Kierkegaard). Kierkegaard was a clear supporter of expressing our own personality. He wanted human beings to be able to exercise their freedom. He believed human beings should not postpone their choices simply because they don’t know the universal truth. He claimed truth is subjective, therefore we shouldn’t postpone our choices. Kierkegaard’s existentialist ideas do not provide us with clear solutions, but they encourage us to be more conscious, more alert, and have more questions about our human nature. Soren Kierkegaard’s father was a dedicated Lutheran that had great …show more content…

During this stage the human being becomes more aware and conscious about those who surround us. When individuals at this stage make actions they take into consideration how such their actions will impact others in their society. They are more likely to value the well-being of their society over their own personal desires. Social norms and regulations are the guidance for how they should deal with human affairs in order to reach a good society. People at this stage enjoy doing noble actions because those choices, initiate greater set of principles. People who are at his stage are not against aesthetic life's pleasures; however, they place ethical life choices over aesthetic pleasures. Individuals placed in this stage still have pleasures. Kierkegaard uses marriage as an example of ethical pleasures. In the beginning of a marriage there’s excitement, but as time progresses, those feeling fade away and we become bored. Those in the ethical stage will choose to continue to respect their spouses because they enjoy doing it something that goes beyond …show more content…

Agamemnon had to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia. He had to make the decision of sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia in order to appease Artemis. Agamemnon’s action of sacrificing his daughter were beneficial to society and the common good of everyone else. His actions were impulse by his morality of the well-being of others above his own. He did not wish to sacrifice his daughter but he knew the outcomes would benefit more people. Therefore, although he wished to keep his daughter alive he had to place his feelings aside and sacrifice his daughter for the good of all. He is often mention to be a tragic hero, the highest level in the ethical stage, because his sacrifice was needed in order for the Greek’s to continue their expedition. During the ethical stage people often get caught up in a system that only follows society’s norms and regulations. People at this stage often forget to take the time to search for their selves; to figure out who they are with the help of

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