Document Type : Research Paper
Author
PhD Candidate of Philosophy of Religion, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Qom
Abstract
Søren Kierkegaard was one of the most influential Christian philosophers and theologians in the nineteenth century. He presented a view on the relationship between faith and rationality which has considered by many contemporary theologians and philosophers. With a particular interpretation of faith, he tried to show that faith is a passion and subjective truth, conflicting with objective categories and intellectual arguments. He attempted to prove that faith is beyond reason and in conflict with it. He used three arguments, the approximation argument, the postponement argument and the passion argument to assert these two claims of his. This article seeks to answer two central questions about the relationship of faith and rationality in Kierkegaard's thought: First, on what basis Kierkegaard proves that faith is beyond reason and in conflict with it? And second, is Kierkegaard's view on the matter of faith and reason justified and acceptable?
Keywords
- Evans, Stephen C. (2010), “Faith and reason in Kierkegaard’s Concluding.” in Kierkegaard’s Concluding Unscientific Postcript: A Critical Guide/ ed. Furtak Rick Anthony. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Evans, Stephen C. (1998), Faith Beyond Reason. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
- Evans, Stephen C. (2006), Kierkegaard on Faith and the Self, Baylor University Press.
- Evans, Stephen C. (1999), “Kierkegaard, Soren Aabye.” in The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. ed. Audi Robert. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, second edition.
- James, William (2007), The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosoph New York: Cosimo.Inc.
- Kierkegaard, Søren (2009), Concluding Unscientific Postscript to the Philosophical Fragments, ed.& trans. Hannay, Alastair. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Kierkegaard, Søren (1962), Philosophical Fragments or A Fragment of Philosophy, ed. Hong, Howard V. trans. Swenson, David F. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
- Wilkinson, Michael B. (2010), Philosophy of Religion. New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group
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