Soren Kierkegaard

Søren Kierkegaard, a 19th-century Danish philosopher, explored the complexities of human existence through the lens of faith and choice. He distinguished between three stages of life: the aesthetic, where individuals seek pleasure and avoid commitment; the ethical, where one embraces responsibility and moral duty; and the religious, which involves a personal relationship with God characterized by passion and faith. Kierkegaard emphasized subjective experience, arguing that true understanding and meaning arise from personal engagement with faith, ethics, and the struggles of existence, thus shaping a unique philosophy of religious ethics grounded in individual choice and authenticity.