Kierkegaard on the Three Spheres of Existence

Dr. Ellie Anderson (philosophy professor and co-host of Overthink podcast) introduces Søren Kierkegaard's view of the three stages or spheres of existence from Stages on Life's Way, identifying the aesthetic, ethical, and religious spheres.
For more, check out Overthink podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen, plus our KZbin channel here: www.overthinkpodcast.com/
Video edited by Jeffrey Murray

[@testcardII]

I wish I had a philosophy teacher like you!

[@zachcaldwell9147]

Love to hear Hilarius Bookbinder getting some recognition!!

[@bivinspoetry]

I'm a student of Philosophy from India. Thank you so much for your sharing ❤️ I learnt about him in my last semester. His works are literally worth reading and contemplating.

[@Ubermensch-vo7dn]

Studying philosophy 😂

[@Ubermensch-vo7dn]

Philosophy requires wisdom fanatic

[@bivinspoetry]

@@Ubermensch-vo7dn you are right Superman 🥰

[@bivinspoetry]

@@Ubermensch-vo7dn who is fanatic?

[@Ubermensch-vo7dn]

@@bivinspoetry you

[@h.austin4793]

Longtime fan of Kierkegaard -- and that's a fantastic sweater.

[@ziloj-perezivat]

I love how much attention this video has gotten in so short a period of time. Really hope this channel continues to grow

[@outoftheblue6587]

It’s always nice to see a new video on KZbin regarding Kierkegaard. I’m hoping in the future you make a video on Ernest Beckers works including the Denial of death which builds upon Kierkegaard’ work.

[@dougpalmer4633]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Greatly appreciated.

[@alexwiththeglasses]

Thank you to Dr. Anderson for another down-to-earth video, and especially for being clear about Kierkegaard’s pseudonyms and source of text info!🙏

[@syedaleemuddin6804]

Thank you. Clear and straightforward explanation..

[@goodtothinkwith]

As someone who also teaches philosophy, I really enjoy your work! Arguably the change in the individual as being superior to the universal (in the synthesis of the third sphere) is a part of one of the most important metaphysical movements of this period of philosophical history. It became obvious with Bruno, I think, and then was manifest as well with Kant, Hegel, then Kierkegaard of course, followed by Nietzsche, etc. I’m always trying to contextualize the ideas as part of larger historical patterns and movements. Anyway, good stuff!

[@meesalikeu]

makes sense in the day to day life we carry ourselves. there is a higher mediation between ethical and aesthetic, call it religious, and well in practical reality thoughts and decisions we are the boss of this, of what we accept and what we do. a good topic to think about for today - thx dr ellie!

[@wynshiphillier313]

The bit about the knight of renunciation was interesting insofar as Kant, in his second critique, said that god was necessary in that personal desires could not be satisfied more than fortuitously in a moral life.

[@Filmaker25]

This was interesting the way you presented this.

[@robertalenrichter]

Things seem to come in threes. Schopenhauer had those three means of mitigating suffering; aesthetic experience, compassion, asceticism. I don't remember whether he viewed them as steps on a ladder, but it would seem plausible, and hearing this about Kierkegaard's spheres reminded me of him.

[@gettaasteroid4650]

Is there going to be a doxastic ascent episode? so awesome, like the rower's sweater.

[@dilbyjones]

Just cracked back into this one.

[@Jebusite100]

Glad you are teaching about concepts of existence, maybe teach on Karl Jaspers next.

[@BioChemistryWizard]

My experience with mysticism is the first time in the life I felt Kierkegaard's 3rd sphere. I finally "got it".

[@euwyn]

Kierkegaard specifically addresses "mysticism" in Either/Or, and still contrasts it a few different ways to the Ethical and Religious. Recommend reading :)

[@Rico-Suave_]

Great video, thank you very much , note to self(nts) watched all of it twice 7:02

[@the_proletariat]

Thank you 🙏

[@davidfragoso6366]

I Love kierkegaard. Could you do please a video on Kristeva ?

[@canopus78]

Doc, Kierkegaard es genial; pero tú eres una estrella universal y bella..!!

[@acorpuscallosum6947]

Hi professor Anderson, I'm wondering if you'll cover the work of Peter Sloterdijk?

[@kilimanjaro88]

Hi, just a question: in what sphere could be ideology? Thanks for the video!

[@clumsydad7158]

interesting structure and again a lot of similarities with upanishads and atman-brahman conceptions and linkages, or as john vervaeke may say, the 'transjective' (also a platonic flavor)

[@josedavilatraavieso4327]

Everybody has careful with faith, because have a magical connotations.

[@ea_naseer]

5:12 So if the aesthetic is the individual and the ethical is the universal and in the religious the individual is higher than the universal then the aesthetic is higher/better than the ethical. Is this a right conclusion?

[@bobcabot]

He did speak German! ( very well by the way - almost necessary for the philosophical discourse back then...

[@wynshiphillier313]

3:03 As a biographical note, Kirkegaard was not just influenced by Hegel. He was personally taught by Hegel.

[@JonathanDunlap]

I am amazed by this new information. For some reason I thought Hegel was taught by Kirkegaard. 😂

[@OverthinkPodcastPhilosophy]

? Kierkegaard attended Schelling and Schleiermacher's lectures in Berlin (see Hannay's biography) and studied with a Danish Hegelian in Copenhagen, but I don't know of evidence that he was ever taught by Hegel.

[@wynshiphillier313]

@@OverthinkPodcastPhilosophy You're right. Hegel died in 1831. Kierkegaard didn't make it to Berlin for another ten years. I don't know where/how I got my bad information.

[@edwoodsr]

I would like to know what Kierkegaard regarded as 'superior' and why.

[@wynshiphillier313]

7:31 Was there a technical glitch? You ended mid-word.

[@AmyFerguson]

This is like the Id (Aesthetic), the Superego (ethical), and the Ego (religious)

[@Orbitinbloom19018]

The k on the front kinda reminds me of the font from letters to milena :p

[@Dardasha_Studios]

What I can extrapolate from this video and from reading fear and trembling. If you remove the religious sphere, then it is dangerous?

[@moumita_d99]

The 'aesthetic sphere' sort of reminds me of Phenomenology and essentialism.

[@TheSergio1021]

So its just a convoluted way of describing body mind and soul

[@jayfehily6125]

Cool

[@roshananoor3066]

❤

[@patrik_bergman]

We could also add the absurdist stance as some people analysing Brothers Karamazov have done. Th father is there while Dmitry has the aesthetic stance, Ivan the ethical, and Alyosha the religious.

[@mahmoudgouda7972]

I think what he means of the individual in the religious sense is God not us as individuals or may be us in a mystical experience.

[@somethingyousaid5059]

Would you believe that there's no one in this world who can actually help me? That's the revelation of a lifetime.

[@TheChristianNationalist8692]

No human in the long run, but Kierkegaard’s, mine, and your God who Christians call Lord is able, and help in ways and in more ways than you can understand and describe to another, once you know the Christ God by faith. Meditate on the Suffering Servant of the Lord and follow after His way and you will have and know rest. God rest

[@somethingyousaid5059]

I have no reason to believe that the worst case scenario isn't actually the case. The default existence of an omnipotent evil.

[@anonymoushuman8344]

I was just reading a review in Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews (free, open, online) of a book on Kierkegaard by Sheridan Hough, Kierkegaard's Dancing Tax Collector: Faith, Finitude, and Silence. The reviewer, Sharon Krishek, summarizes Hough's discussion of Kierkegaard on faith and suffering. Maybe you'd find it helpful, too. I don't know your circumstances or your background, but here's what works for me: All human power is finite, limited. But one can take the action of unconditionally affirming, inwardly, the infinite transformational power of God, a power which can bring meaning to all suffering as well as adjust worldly conditions in ways nobody can comprehend. One can affirm unconditionally that everything that comes has its meaning and its purpose, is a "good and perfect gift," despite all worldly appearances to the contrary. Moreover, it's possible to avail one's self of the good news proclaimed in the Christian tradition without invalidating other religious traditions. I hope you find whatever help you need, from whatever source.

[@somethingyousaid5059]

And neither do you.

[@idontwanttomakeachan]

​@@somethingyousaid5059you have no reason to believe it via reason. If you're anything like me, reason will lead you to nihilism and a cold dark world in which a God of any sort could not exist. I found a way out through Buddhism. But I agree with Soren, it's a subjective journey. If you honestly look for "God" with all your might and suspend churlishness, you'll find it in a way that makes sense to you. God can't be known or transmitted in the sphere of the ethical, but subjectively realized. This paragraph can only motivate you to take action, but nothing that I can write will bring you to find the peace that you seek, only your action can do that. Funny enough, for me it came in the form of a leap of faith. I was an atheist for most of my life. Good luck my friend.

[@jamesphillips523]

Very Danish jumper (sweater)

[@antapeastronaut]

descriptive sphere, prescriptive sphere, transcriptive sphere

[@bruce-le-smith]

#tacogang, everybody else is definitely wrong, don't need any metaphysics or epistemology or logic to prove these multiversal claims

[@bonggojbihonggo991]

❤❤ 🇧🇩