Kierkegaard

American  

[keer-ki-gahrd, keer-kuh-gawr] / ˈkɪər kɪˌgɑrd, ˈkir kəˌgɔr /

noun

1. Sören Aabye 1813–55, Danish philosopher and theologian.

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Kierkegaard British  

/ ˈkirɡəɡɔːr, ˈkɪəkəˌɡɑːd /

noun

1. Søren Aabye (ˈsøːrən ˈɔːby). 1813–55, Danish philosopher and theologian. He rejected organized Christianity and anticipated the existentialists in emphasizing man's moral responsibility and freedom of choice. His works include Either/Or (1843), The Concept of Dread (1844), and The Sickness unto Death (1849)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Kierkegaardian
  adjective

Example Sentences

“Purity of heart is to will one thing,” wrote the early 19th-century Danish philosopher and poet Soren Kierkegaard, his one willed thing being knowledge of — meaning faith in — an absolute, sometimes called God.

From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2023

But, Kierkegaard added, “I don’t know if the will is there.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 15, 2022

“It’s Scandinavian and pretentious but Kierkegaard once said ‘We can only understand life backwards, but we’re forced to live it forwards,”’ says Trier.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2022

As longtime fans might expect, behind the prose lies a wealth of hardcover learning, from the Bible and the Augsburg Book of Miracles to Nietzsche, Kierkegaard and Heidegger.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2021

Scythe Kierkegaard had a crossbow slung over his shoulder.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman