1813–1855 · Copenhagen, Denmark · also known as Kierkegaard, Soren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard, often called the father of existentialism, wrote about anxiety, faith and the individual’s choices under a series of playful pen names. Either/Or and Fear and Trembling (both 1843) and The Sickness unto Death (1849) influenced philosophers and writers from Sartre to Kafka.
Begin with Fear and Trembling.
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Hans Christian Andersen · Henrik Ibsen · August Strindberg · Selma Lagerlöf · Knut Hamsun · Sigrid Undset · Astrid Lindgren
Søren Kierkegaard, often called the father of existentialism, wrote about anxiety, faith and the individual’s choices under a series of playful pen names. Either/Or and Fear and Trembling (both 1843) and The Sickness unto Death (1849) influenced philosophers and writers from Sartre to Kafka.
Either/Or is usually considered Søren Kierkegaard’s best-known work, followed by Fear and Trembling, The Sickness unto Death.
Most readers start with Fear and Trembling.
Both refer to the same writer. Other spellings and names include Kierkegaard, Soren Kierkegaard.
Many of Søren Kierkegaard’s works are in the public domain; we link to free editions below.