Heather Brooke Ideep Throat

Reading "On a grave" Kierkegaard

Introduction

theme text: the idea of death.

The question posed by the author : what is the idea of death can occur in the life of a man?

development text:

1. For an ironist who has no aim in life, the idea of death can only lead a person to be sinking ever more profoundly in the pursuit of carnal satisfaction: eating, drinking ... This will also not satisfy his desire is always vain, but the digging and highlight the sense of impotence.
2. Instead, a man driven by the seriousness, clarity on the transience of his life could not only to indicate the destination of his race, but more importantly, to provide energy for its accomplishment.
3. When the seriousness of the current grabs today, every task of life, every moment regardless of its duration, will find their full meaning and significance in the entire life, so life is unified in consistency.
   

The author's thesis : the idea of Death itself does not make sense is the attitude of life that makes it positive or negative. For a man of "flesh", this idea will make life even more empty, but for a serious man, rather it is an engine that will make her life a vector.

Further analysis

To understand what the author says in this small sample, we should probably clarify in the light Kierkegaardian theory of the three spheres on the path of life, in which our lives are described in three stages: the aesthetic stage, stage ethics and the religious stage. What can be seen here in this text, I think it is the turn between the first and second stage, which already indicates discreetly access to the third stage, and the key term may well be the word "serious."

"Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die", why this cynical reaction to the idea of death? Because death is the "revelation" the most radical of the paradox of our existence: the reality Death allows us to glimpse eternity eludes us, so man is in the opposition between the abstract of eternity and its concrete existential condition: his mortality, his helplessness, his lowliness. Man of the aesthetic stage, still lives in the present, constantly pursuing the carnal satisfaction, however, this lifestyle can only dig him in the anguish that seizes every time after the flight of every moment. The ironic attitude is childish and futile resistance to the aesthetic side of the absurdity of his existence always present, but the irony is, in fact, mask a true insight, which announced yet the defeat of the stadium.

contrast for aesthetics, life for the ethicist is not a collection of moments, but all that requires, the ethical requirement, consistency and fulfillment. In other words, life here is more an adventure to try, but a duty to perform. The idea of death, which means recognition of the transience of existence, is no longer the source of anguish, she became, instead, the provider of the energy that drives the ethicist to go straight straight for the purpose of his life, which is the fulfilling of his duty, and thus, each moment of life is integrated, totaled into the consistency required for the performance.

This gives rise to the difference between life aesthetics and that of the ethicist is "serious." The author says in another text: "The seriousness is to live each day as if it was the last and also the first of a long life" 1. So for a man driven by serious resistance to death is a life consistent and well done. But, seriously do not stop there, because it also involves questioning, questioning the meaning of our existence, and this question will show the fragility of the company moral, because the ethical requirement will be the ultimate answer to the question about the "meaning". Thus, the seriousness that defeated the aesthetic stage will also demolish the ethical stage, and finally lead men to God's presence. Of course, this is not mentioned in the text, but it seems to me that this is the logical continuation of the author's reasoning: the serious fact that man is freed from the aesthetic adventure of his youth, will send to maturity believing. But through the three stages in the life of a person is an ideal opportunity, many only stop in the first or second stage.

Conclusion

Death is a reality for a living, but despite its severity, it is a neutral reality, it does become significant only if the attitude of life gives it meaning ; it is primarily this has meant Kierkegaard in this small text, even if it was located in a much broader philosophical context. But, whatever our knowledge or perspective on Kierkegaard's philosophy, which is written in this passage seems universally convincing.

1 Soren Kierkegaard WORK, Robert Laffont, 1993, P. 1313