Soren Kierkegaard’s writings were written in response to the political, religious, and philosophical ideas of his time. He argued that the existence of an external world beyond our senses meant that we could never escape the question of whether there really is an objective reality, or if all is merely an illusion. If we think about this, he says, we will inevitably feel anxious. Kierkegaard wrote a series of short stories called “Stages”, in which he explored different ways we can deal with the dizziness of freedom. Some choose to follow the path less traveled and risk living an unconventional lifestyle, while others seek security in marriage and family, choosing to remain within social norms. For him, this exploration of the existential, a word he coined, reveals the absurdity of human beings trying to fit themselves into an ordered, predictable, externally defined world. Our own selves and individuality are meaningless if we are trapped inside them because then we lose hope of ever finding true happiness.
Kierkegaard’s work was an early influence on existentialist thinkers such as Albert Camus. He argued that we cannot escape the “miserable consciousness” of living in an objective universe, but we must understand that there is always the possibility of choosing a different course of action. We can either submit to the will of God, or rebel against it, but we must never surrender to the external forces that define us.
