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Fear and Trembling Repetition FEAR AND TREMBLING REPETITION by S0ren Kierkegaard Edited and Translated with Introduction and Notes by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY co I Copyrighl ~ 1983 by Howard V. HOIIll Publisllfd by Pri,IC"o" Ulliversily Prm, 41 William Slr<et, PrillwoII, New Jersey HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION In Ihe United Kingdom: Prillwoll Ulliversily Press, C"ildford, S"rrey All Rights Reserved Ubrary of COllgr<ss Catalogillg ill P"blicalioll DOlo will be fOlmd all the last prillted page of this book Preparalion of Ihis vol"me has been made possible ill parI by a gram from Ihe Translations Program of Ihe National Endou'",mt for lite Humanilies. Clothbou"d ediliolls of Princeroll University Press books are printed m1 acid-fiee paper} and binding materials are chosell for strellglh and d"rabi/ity. Paperb",ks, while satifaclory Jor persollal co/lections, are '101 I"ually s"itable for library rebilldin.~. Primed ill the U",'led Slates of America by Pri..cetoll· U"iversily Press I Priucclotl I New jersey EULOGY PROD PRELIMINARY PROBLEMA I Is rhe oft PROBLEMA II Is rher, PROBLEMA III Was Abraham to Cone, Sarah, .from EI Problema III egory of the turning point. Therefore sometimes happens after one has been of it pro virili [with all one's mightJ, because it grew away from one, but nei be all too greedy for it, for one thing interesting, to have an interesting life, is . but a momentous privilege, which, lik~ the world of spirit, is purchased only·: Socrates was the most interesting man, life the most interesting life ever led, b allotted to him by the god [GudenJ, and self had to acquire it, he was not a str pain. To take such an existence in vaini anyone who thinks more earnestly aboU' age we frequently see examples of sue' more, the interesting is a border categor territoryJ between esthetics and ethics. amination must constantly wander into ics, while in order to be of consequen problem with esthetic fervor and concu., ethics rarely involves itself with a questi son must be that the system has no roo: one could do it in monographs, and, not wish to go into detail, it could be' achieve the same result-that is, if one his power, for one or two predicates can Should there not be room in the system In his immortal Poetics (Chapter 11),' /lev ol'iv toU /llrf}otJ /lEQ'l, 1tEQl taut' avayvwQLOL~ [two parts of the plot, th covery (recognition), are on matters 0 course, only the second element that co YVWQLOL~, recognition. Whenever and w, to speak of recognition, there is eo ipSo.i Just as the recognition is the resolving, in dramatic life, so hiddenness is the te: What Aristotle develops earlier in the gard to the various merits of tragedy, lAlII 'aham to Conceal His Under­ 'ezer, and from Isaac? sal;! as the universal it is in lividual, qualified as imme­ he hidden. Thus his ethical i hiddenness and to become time he desires to remain in immersed in spiritual trial by disclosing himself. tle point. If there is no hid­ he single individual as the the universal, then Abra­ led, for he disregarded the f there is such a hiddenness, cannot be mediated, since ngle individual as the single ersal, whereas the universal an philosophy assumes no incommensurability. It is, disclosure, but it is a little :ard Abraham as the father . Faith is not the first im­ The first immediacy is the ilosophy certainly may very e esthetic, or else faith has ,s existed. o consider the whole ques­ It end enter into an esthetic ier to give his entire atten­ , part shall adapt my com­ 'ry I shall consider in more that especially now-since [at a turning point in his­ Lt, for it is actually the cat­ 84 Fear and Trembling way l'tEQLl'tE'tELU and avuyvwQLOL\; carambolere [converge], as with the aid of the mak', well as what he writes about the single and the double rec­ gether irresistible. He c ognition, I cannot deal with here, even if tempted by its in­ happiness. Now comes teriority and its quiet absorption, especially tempting to one to admit to his decepti who for a long time has been weary of the superfIcial om­ he reveals himself as a niscience of the survey writers. A broader comment may not thereby lose the bd have its place here. In Greek tragedy, the hiddenness (and as for which esthetics also a result of it the recognition) is an epic remnant based on a of knowledge is no Eri fate in which the dramatic action vanishes and in which it him to laughter. This ill has its dark, mysterious source. Because of this, a Greek suggest what I mean; t tragedy has an effect similar to that of a marble statue, which terest for this investiga . lacks the potency of the eye. Greek tragedy is blind. There­ The road I must take fore it takes a certain abstraction if one is to be influenced by through esthetics and et. it properly. A son murders his father,6 but not until later hiddenness and the par does he learn that it was his father. A sister is going to sac­ ilarity. rifIce her brother7 but realizes it at the crucial moment. Our A few examples. A rtiflecting age is not very concerned with this kind of tragedy. without the pair's havin Modern drama8 has abandoned destiny, has dramatically each other as yet. Her emancipated itself, is sighted, gazes inward into itself, ab­ (she may also be motiva' sorbs destiny in its dramatic consciousness. Hiddenness and her parents, keeps her I disclosure, then, are the hero's free act, for which he is re­ other unhappy, and no sponsible. fers." -A young swain Recognition and hiddenness are also an essential element the object of his longin of modern drama. It would belabor the point to give exam­ word will compromise, ples. I am suffIciently courteous to assume that everyone in stroy a whole family. our age--which is so esthetically voluptuous, so potent and "The girl must never inflamed, that it conceives just as easily as the partridge that, fmd happiness with ano according to Aristotle,9 needs only to hear the cock's voice sons, both of whom or its flight over her head-I assume that everyone who merely loveds, are also hidde hears the word "hiddenness" will easily be able to shake a markable higher unity dozen novels and comedies out of his sleeve. I can therefore hiddenness is a free act, be brief and promptly suggest a rather broad observation. 10 to esthetics. But esthetics If anyone in playing the hiding game, and thereby providing of knowledge that kno m the piece with dramatic yeast, hides some nonsense, we get a manager. What does it 133 comedy; but if he is related to the idea, he may come close the lovers. By a coinci to being a tragic hero. To cite just one example of the comic: prospective marriage ge a man puts on makeup and wears a wig. The same man is imous decision. There' eager to make a hit with the fair sex and is sure of success other and also a place a bolere [converge], as : and the double rec- if tempted by its in­ ially tempting to one If the superficial om­ oadcr comment may ne hiddenness (and as ; remnant based on a ishes and in which it use of this, a Greek marble statue, which gedy is blind. There­ is to be influenced by 6 ', but not until later sister is going to sac­ crucial moment. Our I this kind of tragedy. ny. has dramatically lward into itself, ab­ ness. Hiddenness and t, for which he is re­ , an essential element ~ point to give exam­ ume that everyone in ItUOUS, so potent and as the partridge that, hear the cock's voice everyone who merely Iy be able to shake a leeve. I can therefore broad observation. 10 nd thereby providing ne nonsense, we get a • he may come close :xample of the comic: ig. The same man is nd is sure of success Problema: now come to the tragic hero anj to consider Iphigenia in Aulis b~ about to sacrifice Iphigenia. ~ Agamemnon, inasmuch as it wo~ to seek comfort from any other itude for the women he ought as possible. On the other hand hero also has to be tried in the tears of Clytemnestra and Iphi esthetics do? It has a way out' readiness to disclose everyt'· everything is in order. But ethics has no coinciden disposal. The esthetic idea cont be implemented in actuality. Fo disclosure. The tragic hero de in that he himself, not prey nounces Iphigenia's fate to her. hero is ethics' beloved son in w remains silent, it may be because' it easier for others, but it rna makes it easier for himself But; If he remains silent, he takes a [I the single individual, inasmuc ment that may come from 0 cannot do this, because ethics I that he always expresses the quires courage, but part of thi~ avoid any argument. Now it is> dreadful argumentum ad homine. opponent's personal circumsta by nothing may well be move: genia is permitted to weep; in mitted, as was ]ephthah's daug not in solitude but at her fath "which is tears alone," and to olive branch around his knees Esthetics demanded disclos g r heroic resolution, es­ f battled their intention s. As a matter of fact, t time; be it jest or ear­ hetics.
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