REFLEXE
REFLEXE
Reflexe a journal of philosophy, was founded in 1985 by Ladislav Hejdánek. The first three issues, originaly published in the underground (samizdat) form, were re-issued legally in 1990. The journal then continued as a quarterly and later, in its present form, as a bi-annual. The focus is on original studies in the areas of Philosophy and Theology. While translations of important philosophical essays are also published, preference is given to new publications. Each issue includes reviews of recent philosophical literature from the Czech Republic and abroad.

REFLEXE, Vol 2019 No 57 (2019), 35–58

Poznej se v zrcadle Slova. Sebepoznání podle Kierkegaarda

[Know Thyself in the Mirror of the Word. Self-Cognition in Kierkegaard]

Kateřina Kolínská

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/25337637.2020.2
published online: 25. 02. 2020

abstract

The article reconstructs Kierkegaardʼs understanding of self-knowledge, especially with the use of The Concept of Irony, The Sickness Unto Death, and Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses. First, irony is interpreted as a step – dangerous indeed, but unavoidable – in the process of oneʼs self-knowledge. The concept of self-knowledge is then related to Kierkegaardʼs concept of transparency in faith. Self-knowledge is thus understood as a form of self-realization, that is, a concept which goes beyond mere epistemology, as it involves four elements, namely knowledge, will, feeling and imagination. Particular attention is paid to the aspect of knowledge (what it is we should know about ourselves), which leads to the problem of the corruption of will (sin). This concept illustrates how Kierkegaardʼs ethical emphasis on self-knowledge culminates in religiosity. It is also shown how alongside his Christian assumptions Kierkegaard is still attentive to the psychological conditions of possibility of manʼs ethical act of self-realization. Self-knowledge is thus reconstructed in its duality, as a process which is for Kierkegaard both substantial and relational: Kierkegaard understands self-knowledge both as an ethical claim upon man and as a religious act whose accomplishment is dependent on Godʼs intervention. The article next discusses how self-knowledge involves a relationship to and “knowledge” of God. Finally, it is shown that self-knowledge presupposes not only that one believes himself or herself to be known by God, but also by his or her fellow human beings.

Creative Commons License
Poznej se v zrcadle Slova. Sebepoznání podle Kierkegaarda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

202 x 130 mm
periodicity: 2 x per year
print price: 180 czk
ISSN: 0862-6901
E-ISSN: 2533-7637

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