PapersFlow Research Brief
Kierkegaardian Philosophy and Influence
Research Guide
What is Kierkegaardian Philosophy and Influence?
Kierkegaardian philosophy is the existentialist thought developed by Søren Kierkegaard, emphasizing individual faith, authenticity, subjective experience, and ethical dilemmas such as the suspension of the ethical in religious commitment, with its influence extending to modern discussions of presence, memory, embodiment, and narrative in philosophy, literature, and aesthetics.
This field encompasses 23,087 works exploring Kierkegaard's ideas on existentialism, authenticity, suffering, ethics, and religion. Key texts like "Fear and Trembling" by Søren Kierkegaard (1843, 554 citations) examine faith through Abraham's sacrifice, defying ethical norms. Related papers address subjective presence and embodiment, as in "<i>Being</i> There: The Subjective Experience of Presence" by Carrie Heeter (1992, 1289 citations).
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Kierkegaard's Concept of Anxiety
Scholars analyze Kierkegaard's 'The Concept of Anxiety' for its existential account of original sin, freedom, and dread as prerequisites for authentic selfhood. Research traces influences on phenomenology, psychoanalysis, and modern anxiety theories.
Kierkegaardian Leap of Faith
This sub-topic examines the paradoxical 'leap' in Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling as subjective truth surpassing rational ethics in religious commitment. Studies explore its epistemology and critiques in analytic philosophy.
Authenticity in Kierkegaard's Existentialism
Researchers investigate Kierkegaard's critique of inauthentic 'crowd' existence versus individual passionate commitment in works like Concluding Unscientific Postscript. Applications extend to contemporary selfhood and identity studies.
Kierkegaard and Aesthetic Sphere of Existence
Analyses focus on the aesthetic life stage in Either/Or, characterized by hedonism and immediacy, as a precursor to ethical and religious stages. Scholarship links it to Romanticism and modern consumer culture critiques.
Kierkegaard's Influence on Existential Theology
Theologians trace Kierkegaard's impact on dialectical theology, Barth, and post-Bultmannian hermeneutics through indirect communication and paradox. Comparative studies assess intersections with Tillich and contemporary faith philosophies.
Why It Matters
Kierkegaardian philosophy shapes analyses of subjective experience in media and urban memory studies. "<i>Being</i> There: The Subjective Experience of Presence" by Carrie Heeter (1992, 1289 citations) applies existential notions of authentic presence to virtual reality, influencing design in PRESENCE Virtual and Augmented Reality. "Fear and Trembling" by Søren Kierkegaard (1843, 554 citations) informs ethical discussions on faith versus universal ethics, cited in 554 works on religion and philosophy. "Present Pasts: Urban Palimpsests and the Politics of Memory" by Andreas Huyssen (2003, 1281 citations) connects Kierkegaardian themes of individual suffering and authenticity to public memory in cities like Berlin and New York, impacting urban studies and trauma research.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Fear and Trembling" by Søren Kierkegaard (1843, 554 citations), as it provides the foundational text on faith, ethics, and existential paradox in accessible dialectical form.
Key Papers Explained
"Fear and Trembling" by Søren Kierkegaard (1843, 554 citations) establishes faith's paradox, expanded in "Fear and trembling ; Repetition" by Søren Kierkegaard, Howard V. Hong, and Edna H. Hong (1984, 433 citations) through poetic pseudonymous writings on repetition and silence. "The Narrative Quality of Experience" by Stephen Crites (1971, 462 citations) builds on this by applying narrative to lived temporality. "<i>Being</i> There: The Subjective Experience of Presence" by Carrie Heeter (1992, 1289 citations) extends subjective authenticity to virtual contexts, while Vivian Sobchack's "The Address of the Eye" (1992, 1108 citations) connects embodiment to sensing subjects.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Research centers on high-citation applications in memory, embodiment, and place, as in "Present Pasts: Urban Palimpsests and the Politics of Memory" by Andreas Huyssen (2003, 1281 citations) and "A Global Sense of Place" by Doreen Massey (1991, 948 citations). No recent preprints or news coverage available.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | <i>Being</i> There: The Subjective Experience of Presence | 1992 | PRESENCE Virtual and A... | 1.3K | ✕ |
| 2 | Present Pasts: Urban Palimpsests and the Politics of Memory | 2003 | — | 1.3K | ✕ |
| 3 | The Address of the Eye | 1992 | Princeton University P... | 1.1K | ✕ |
| 4 | A Global Sense of Place | 1991 | — | 948 | ✕ |
| 5 | Carnal thoughts: embodiment and moving image culture | 2005 | Choice Reviews Online | 799 | ✕ |
| 6 | Disembodying Women: Perspectives on Pregnancy and the Unborn | 1993 | DigitalGeorgetown (Geo... | 606 | ✕ |
| 7 | Fear and Trembling | 1843 | — | 554 | ✕ |
| 8 | The Narrative Quality of Experience | 1971 | Journal of the America... | 462 | ✕ |
| 9 | Fear and trembling ; Repetition | 1984 | — | 433 | ✕ |
| 10 | The Betweenness of Place | 1991 | — | 411 | ✓ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core concept of faith in Kierkegaard's "Fear and Trembling"?
In "Fear and Trembling" (1843, 554 citations), Kierkegaard, under the pseudonym Johannes de silentio, portrays faith as Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac despite ethical opposition. This act represents a 'teleological suspension of the ethical,' where religious duty overrides universal morality. The work uses dialectical lyric to explore faith's paradoxical nature.
How does Kierkegaardian philosophy relate to subjective presence?
"<i>Being</i> There: The Subjective Experience of Presence" by Carrie Heeter (1992, 1289 citations) draws on existential subjectivity to define presence in virtual environments. It treats presence as a sensing subject rather than mere visual perception. This connects to Kierkegaard's emphasis on authentic individual experience.
What role does narrative play in Kierkegaardian existentialism?
"The Narrative Quality of Experience" by Stephen Crites (1971, 462 citations) argues that human experience possesses inherent narrative structure, aligning with Kierkegaard's focus on personal authenticity and temporal existence. Narrative shapes religious and ethical understanding. Crites, a professor of religion, links this to broader existential themes.
How is embodiment addressed in works influenced by Kierkegaard?
"The Address of the Eye" by Vivian Sobchack (1992, 1108 citations) views cinema as a sensual, sense-making subject, echoing Kierkegaardian embodiment in subjective experience. "Carnal thoughts: embodiment and moving image culture" (2005, 799 citations) emphasizes corporeal engagement with media over intellectual analysis. These extend existential authenticity to film theory.
What is the current scale of research on Kierkegaardian philosophy?
Research includes 23,087 works with keywords like Kierkegaard, existentialism, authenticity, and ethics. Growth over five years is not available. Top papers like "Fear and trembling ; Repetition" by Søren Kierkegaard, Howard V. Hong, and Edna H. Hong (1984, 433 citations) sustain influence in religion and philosophy.
Open Research Questions
- ? How does Kierkegaard's teleological suspension of the ethical apply to modern bioethical dilemmas involving individual conscience?
- ? In what ways can narrative temporality from Crites integrate with Kierkegaard's stages of existence to model authentic selfhood?
- ? Does subjective presence in virtual reality, as defined by Heeter, resolve or exacerbate Kierkegaardian tensions between the aesthetic and ethical spheres?
- ? How might urban palimpsests of memory, per Huyssen, reconcile Kierkegaard's individual suffering with collective historical trauma?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 23,087 works with no reported five-year growth data.
Influence persists through top-cited applications, such as 1289 citations for "<i>Being</i> There: The Subjective Experience of Presence" by Carrie Heeter in virtual reality and 1281 citations for "Present Pasts: Urban Palimpsests and the Politics of Memory" by Andreas Huyssen (2003) in urban studies.
1992No recent preprints or news coverage in the last 12 months.
Research Kierkegaardian Philosophy and Influence with AI
PapersFlow provides specialized AI tools for Arts and Humanities researchers. Here are the most relevant for this topic:
AI Literature Review
Automate paper discovery and synthesis across 474M+ papers
AI Academic Writing
Write research papers with AI assistance and LaTeX support
Citation Manager
Organize references with Zotero sync and smart tagging
See how researchers in Arts & Humanities use PapersFlow
Field-specific workflows, example queries, and use cases.
Start Researching Kierkegaardian Philosophy and Influence with AI
Search 474M+ papers, run AI-powered literature reviews, and write with integrated citations — all in one workspace.
See how PapersFlow works for Arts and Humanities researchers