Søren Kierkegaard

1813–1855 · Danish philosopher, theologian & father of existentialism

Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) was a Danish philosopher and theologian, widely regarded as the first existentialist thinker. Alongside published works such as Either/Or and Fear and Trembling, he kept voluminous private journals; this reflection comes from a journal entry of 1843, the year of his most intense output. Many of his best-known ‘quotes’ circulate today in paraphrased forms drawn from those journals rather than as his exact words.

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“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards”

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