Class Synopsis, March 30

On Wednesday we continued our discussion of Kierkegaard. Dr. Layne first finished covering the first stage of life, the aesthetic. Kierkegaard asserted that the aesthete falls short in life by living amorally and refusing responsibility. By giving oneself responsibility, one is free to act.

Upon finishing the aesthetic stage, Dr. Layne pressed forward with an explanation of the ethical life. The ethical life begins by taking a "leap" to choose to accept moral standards and to place duty above pleasure. This choice requires an either/or scenario; that is, a necessary loss is imperative in the choice. By choosing one side and giving up the other, one attains an identity. Kierkegaard states that the move to the ethical sphere is marked by despair and self-choice. In the ethical world, all must follow a universal standard. The embodiment of the ethical world is the knight of infinite resignation, who resigns oneself to relinquished rewards for the sake of duty. However, the ethical life also has flaws. The ethical person still feels one's own imperfection through sin. Furthermore, an inability to obey the laws produces an inability to always be oneself, which is a big no-no for Kierkegaard.

The third and final stage of life is the religious. This is the highest in Kierkegaard's opinion, as it transcends both aesthetics and ethics. The aesthetic life focuses solely on the individual and his or her desires. The ethical life focuses on the universal. The religious life instead focuses on the individual's personal relationship with the universal figure of God. Kierkegaard states that the religious life cannot be justified by reason, and even calls it absurd. This is not a rational choice that can be made, but rather will of the faith to a higher meaning. An example of the religious person is the knight of faith who goes to church every Sunday just because one is impelled to by one's very being, in contrast to one going for a duty to society or for pleasure. The knight of faith just feels it to go to Church.

Dr. Layne then focused on the change that precipitates the move to the religious life, the "leap of faith." Those who are in love or who believe in God exemplify this leap. There is no evidence to support such a belief; they just believe. In fact, there must be reasons to doubt such faith. True faith will believe in the face of these doubts. Dr. Layne then used the situation of two lovers who could not marry to further distinguish the three stages. In the aesthetic life, the boy would move on and accept there is another lover in the world. The ethical boy would not give up his love for the girl, but would be resigned to the fact that they could not be together. The religious boy, however, would insist that even through the absurdity of it all they will be together. He is steadfast in his faith in their love, and does not halt in attaining and exacting it.