Kierkegaard's Either/Or
A Critical Guide

This collection of essays strikes new ground in our understanding of Kierkegaard's Either/Or and his authorship as a whole.

Ryan S. Kemp (Edited by), Walter Wietzke (Edited by)

9781009066945, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 1 May 2025

264 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.4 cm, 0.387 kg

'[An] excellent volume of essays that will result in at least a bit smoother time with 'Either/Or'. … Both novices and experts will find this an important resource for understanding Kierkegaard. Recommended.' J. A. Simmons, CHOICE

Either/Or is Kierkegaard's first major work and arguably his most virtuosic. It introduces many of the most important philosophical themes that define the rest of his authorship and showcases - through its several pseudonyms and genres - Kierkegaard's prodigious literary scope. In this Critical Guide, a diverse group of scholars strike new ground in our understanding of both this work, and Kierkegaard's authorship as a whole. Their essays highlight the text's philosophical range, with substantial discussions of issues in aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, metaphysics, phenomenology, and philosophy of religion. The volume will be essential reading for any person seeking to deepen their understanding of Either/Or and Kierkegaard's work more generally.

Introduction Ryan S. Kemp and Walter Wietzke
1. Existential melancholia: the affective psychology of the 'Diapsalmata' in Either/Or Rick Anthony Furtak and Ruth Rebecca Tietjen
2. Don Giovanni and the musical-erotic Fred Rush
3. For what may the aesthete hope? Focus and standstill in 'the unhappiest one' and 'rotation of crops' Elizabeth Li and Andrew Chignell
4. Companions in guilt: aestheticism and cartesianism as two sides of the same coin Genia Schönbaumsfeld
5. A's religion of boredom Antón Barba-Kay
6. The artist is not present: metaphysical performance in the diary of the seducer Noreen Khawaja
7. Failed temporalities in Patrick Stokes
8. Love, marriage and delusion in Either/Or Walter Wietzke
9. The philosophy of science in Either/Or Hans Halvorson
10. The despair of judge William Sharon Krishek
11. The problem of evil in Either/Or: a religious-aesthetic debate Ulrika Carlsson
12. Illusions of ethical independence: the last word in Either/Or Daniel Watts
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Western philosophy: c 1600 to c 1900 [HPCD]