Walter Kaufmann: Kierkegaard and the Crisis in Religion

"Kierkegaard and the Crisis in Religion", the first part of Walter Kaufmann's famous 1960 lecture series on existentialism. Kaufmann begins by explaining that existentialists share as many differences as other schools of philosophy. First coined to refer to the theories of Jaspers and Heidegger, existentialism became primarily associated with the work of Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Nietzsche, all radical individualists who found previous philosophical systems lacking. Kaufmann explains their writings as an answer to the modern crises in religion, philosophy and morality.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Kierkegaard
• Existentialism
• Walter
• Kaufmann
• Nietzsche
• Philosophy
• Religion
• Crisis

[SteelCityEcologist]

Kaufmann is great. He wrote the first "translation" of Hegel's (introduction to) Phenomenology of Spirit that I was able to understand. In a sense, whatever (limited) understanding of Hegel I have today I owe to his work.

Thanks for uploading.

[Eidos84]

@SteelCityEcologist You're welcome man. And when I first came to Hegel's P'henomenology' (can't remember the exact translation) I found Robert C. Solomon's companion to that work invaluable. What you owe to Kaufmann, I owe to Solomon.

[Phavonic]

@SteelCityEcologist Yeah, I found that too about Kaufmann. His approach is very clear, and whereas its not meant for beginners, he seems to reinterpret the whole field of a certain era of philosophy well. This lecture was very helpful for me and got me into his books. He also seems to be into the humanist side of existentialism and philosophy as well.

I just wish there were more lectures of his like this one available. I would like to read his poetry as well....

[Eidos84]

@Phavonic I have another of Kaufmann's lectures, just a general lecture on Existentialism. I'll upload it for you as soon as possible.

[samreznek]

Great!

Its great to hear the master's voice after spending years reading his words.

[Eidos84]

@samreznek I know exactly how you feel my friend. When I first came across this lecture I was delighted to hear Kaufmann, though he didn't sound like I thought he would! Thanks for watching.

[gilesgoatboy]

It blows my mind that he was forty, here! His _Faith of a Heretic_ was just about to appear, and he had already produced his _Nietzsche_, _From Shakespeare to Existentialism_, _Critique of Religion and Philosophy_, etc. What a masterfully lucid philosopher/teacher/prose stylist.

"In Germany in my teens I had thought that I might as well die at forty because whatever I might be able to do should be done by then, and whatever I had not done by that time I was not likely to do ever." WK

[SteelCityEcologist]

@Phavonic

Great, I'll make sure to take a look.  Thanks for the suggestion, mate.

[Phavonic]

@SteelCityEcologist I've just started to read a book of his called "Without Guillt or Justice" which is very good. You can find a link to his selected works online with this book on his wikipedia page.

IN this book you can see the overtones of Either/Or in there. For Kaufmann its Decidophobia/Autonomy. He incidently lists Kierkegaard as one of his decidophobes, and Nietzche as the ultimate autonomous man. A good read (again, in clear english !!).)

[SteelCityEcologist]

@Phavonic

"His approach is very clear..."

Lol, I remember every time I finished the pages written by Hegel I would think to myself, "And now in English". I haven't read any of his other works, so I can't really say much. I should start some of them soon, though. I've really neglected Nietzsche and he's written a tiny bit on him, eh? ;)

[SteelCityEcologist]

@Eidos84

Awesome. By the way, I'll be taking a look at that companion book by Solomon. I enjoy reading different approaches to Hegel; thanks for mentioning it.

[Phavonic]

@Eidos84 Ah, thank you. I'll look forward to listening to it. I've just bought his book on Hegel, so I'm now spoilt :)