Final Syllabus
Kierkegaard’s Authorship University of Copenhagen Department of Theology / DIS Spring Semester 2017 3 credits Major Disciplines: Literature, Philosophy, Religious Studies
Class Meetings: Mondays 12:00-14:30 University of Copenhagen, South Campus, Room 6B.0.22
Course Instructors: Anna Strelis Söderquist
Brian Söderquist
DIS Contacts: Matt Kelley, Program Assistant, European Humanities Department
Computer policy: No computers in class. No net, no texting during class.
Course Content: A study of the works of Copenhagen’s most radical author, Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855). Kierkegaard’s entire authorship is centered around the existential project that every human being is confronted with: to become oneself and none other than oneself. And as he sees it, becoming oneself does not happen passively and is never achieved once and for all, but rather requires constant effort. He often describes this project as one of taking responsibility for “choosing,” “gaining,” or “becoming oneself.” This course examines his witty, humorous, but also deeply earnest exploration of the psychology of self-identity. Kierkegaard’s thoughts about the struggle for personhood take us through unusual philosophical territories: beginning with the breakdown of culture-specific ethnic and religious categories that have traditionally defined the self, he speaks of the culturally destructive power of Socratic irony, the art of seduction, beauty and boredom, religious culture and politics, religious demands that conflict with ethical duty, chronic sicknesses of the soul, the look of the Other, the struggle to see with the eye of faith, the joy of being embodied here and now, and finally, love. We will remain especially attentive to the ways in which Kierkegaard’s thought is critical of inherited ethnic and cultural definitions of self, and why he nonetheless considers a willed openness to the other (the human other and the divine other) to be absolutely essential to understanding oneself and one’s obligations in the world. The course will be reading intensive as we explore some of Kierkegaard’s central works including Either/Or, Fear and Trembling, Works of Love, and some of his devotional works.
Readings: Completion of reading assignments as scheduled is required and is a prerequisite for participating in class discussions.
Lectures and Discussion: In general, class will be a combination of lecture and class discussion. Class participation includes attendance and the quality of contributions that students make in class. It also incorporates classroom manners, which include attentiveness and alertness.
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Final Syllabus
Short Papers: Three small papers (4-5 double spaced pages) will be assigned during the course of the semester. Late papers will be penalized a half-grade for each day after the due date.
Research Paper: An analytical/interpretive paper will be due toward the end of the semester. The University of Copenhagen requires a paper of 19,200-24,000 characters including spaces for bachelor’s students, including DIS students. This is roughly equivalent to 13-14 double-spaced pages. The requirement is 28,800-36,000 characters including spaces for KU master’s students. This is roughly equivalent to 18-22 double-spaced pages. You must include a character count on the front page of your paper. (You must receive a passing grade on the research paper to receive a final grade in the course. Late papers will be penalized a half-grade for each day after the due date.)
*Danske studerende* Danske studerende må gerne skrive på dansk.
Attendance: Class attendance is required, including classes with guest lecturers. According to KU policy, all students must be present 75% of the time to receive a grade. (For DIS students: the DIS Director of Teaching and Learning, and the Director of Student Affairs, must be notified if you are absent two times or more).
DIS Disability and Resource Statement Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should immediately contact Office of Academic Support ([email protected]) to coordinate this. In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations.
Plagiarism: Any student who plagiarizes will fail the course.
Course Evaluation:
Research paper: 45% First short paper: 15% Second short paper: 15% Third short paper: 15% Attendance and Participation: 10%
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Final Syllabus
Course texts:
KU students: The books and photocopied readings can be purchased at the DIS Library at Vestergade 23.
Books: Søren Kierkegaard, Either/Or, trans. Alastair Hannay, London: Penguin Books, 2004. ISBN 978- 0-140-44577-0 Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, trans. Alastair Hannay, London: Penguin Books, 1985. ISBN 978-0-140-44449-0 Søren Kierkegaard, The Lily in the Field and the Bird of the Air, trans. Bruce Kirmmse, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2016. ISBN 978-0-691-17047-3 Robert Bretall (ed.), A Kierkegaard Anthology, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973. ISBN 0-691-01978-9
Photocopied texts in the compendium: Selections from Works of Love. Selections from The Moment.
For students who read Danish: Kierkegaards samlede værker, Søren Kierkegaards Skrifter (SKS), findes på nettet: www.sks.dk. I have provided references to SKS for every reading (e.g., Danish: SKS 4, 148-151) in this reading plan. (Note: To see page breaks, place a checkmark in the middle box, next to SKS, on the top left-hand side of the screen).
There is a substantial collection of books at the library at the Søren Kierkegaard Research Centre at Farvergade 27. (All DIS students should also take a look at primary and secondary literature books and online articles that can be accessed through the DIS Library.)
Detailed Course Outline
1. Mon. Jan. 23, What is Kierkegaard’s Authorship About? Reading: “Kierkegaard in Ten Minutes” (on Canvas; print out and bring to class).
2. Mon. Jan. 30, What is Either/Or, published by the “Victorious Hermit”? Reading: “Preface” to Either/Or, authored by Victor Eremita, pp. 27-37 (Danish: SKS 2, 11-22); “The Unhappiest One” in Either/Or, authored by A, pp. 209-221 (Danish: SKS 2, 211-223).
Mon. Feb. 6, No class, DIS academic tours
3. Mon. Feb. 13, Aesthetic Melancholia. Reading: “Diapsalmata” in Either/Or, authored by A, in Either/Or, pp. 43-57 (Danish: SKS 2, 25- 52); Abridged version of “The Seducer’s Diary,” authored by Johannes, in **A Kierkegaard Anthology,** pp. 36-80 (Danish: SKS 2, 304-432).
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Final Syllabus
4. Mon. Feb. 20, Wilhelm’s Ethic of Commitment. Reading: “The Aesthetic Validity of Marriage,” in Either/Or, pp. 383-399, 457-474, (Danish: SKS 3, 15-40, 130-150). First short paper due in class
Mon. Feb. 27, No class, DIS academic tours
5. Mon. March 6, Wilhelm’s Ethical Choice. Reading: “The Equilibrium Between the Aesthetic and the Ethical” authored by Wilhelm, in Either/Or, pp. 477-492 (Danish: SKS 3, 155-174); and pp. 542-556 (Danish: SKS 3, 239-253).
6. Mon. March 13, “Having faith for this life.” Reading: Genesis 17-22. (Danish: 1. Mosebog 17-22); Fear and Trembling, pp. 41-82 (Danish: SKS 4, 99-147). Second short paper due in class
Mon. March 20, No class, DIS academic tours
7. Mon. March 27, The Teleological Suspension of the Ethical and Absolute Duty to God. Reading: Fear and Trembling, pp. 83-108, (Danish: SKS 4, 148-171)
8. Mon. April 3, Faithful Silence. Reading: Fear and Trembling, pp. 109-147, (Danish: SKS 4, 172-210).
Wed. April 5, Film Night Film: Breaking the Waves (Lars von Trier) ** film shown at DIS Cinema (Vestergade 23, “Film Room 1”)
9. Mon. April 10, Learning about Finitude from the Natural World Reading: “The Lily in the Field and the Bird of the Air,” pp. 3-90 (Danish: SKS 11, 7-48).
Mon. April 17, No class, DIS academic tours
10. Mon. April 24, Love Reading: “Our Duty to Love Those We See” in Works of Love (Danish: SKS 9, 155-174); “Love Seeks Not Its Own” in Works of Love (Danish: SKS 9, 263-277). Third short paper due in class
11. Mon. May 1, A Socratic Mission. Reading: The Point of View of my Work as an Author, in **A Kierkegaard Anthology,** pp. 323- 339 (Danish: SV3 18, 79-92); The Moment 10, in compendium.
The research paper is due on Wed., May 3rd. Send papers to [email protected] Late papers will be penalized a half-grade for each day after the due date.
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