Søren K ierkegaard’s
The Sickness Unto Death
(The Com plete Notes)
Pr eface
Sum m ar y
Kierkegaard apologizes that some readers may find his book "strange," since it appears
to lack the seriousness one would presumably expect from a book on spiritual matters.
However, it is in fact scholarly treatments that lack the appropriate manner. Whereas
science and scholarship provide information about history and the world of objects and
facts, "Christianity" is concerned with the spiritual well-being of individual human
beings. Christian writing should therefore speak directly to the individual, even if this
means adopting a less formal style.
Christian writing should adopt the manner of a "physician at a sickbed." "Despair" is the
sickness in question, and the "cure" for despair is "to die unto the world"—that is, to
adopt a spiritual outlook.
An alysis
The irony and sarcasm of the Preface is typical of Kierkegaard's writing style. Rather
than make straightforward arguments in support of his position, he often proceeds by
ridiculing opposing views. His main target is science and historical scholarship.
Scholarly and scientific writing pompously claims to offer unambiguous, "objective"
facts. In Kierkegaard's view, it misses the point, since the issues of greatest concern to
living human beings are not facts about the external world; they are spiritual matters
that people must deal with privately.
The Preface sets up the major theme of the book, "despair." Despair is the "sickness unto
death" referred to in the title. The point of The Sickness Unto Death is to demonstrate
that "faith" is the way to overcome despair. Just what Kierkegaard means by despair—
and by faithwill become more clear as the book advances.
Note: In some translations, the Preface refers to "upbuilding" as the purpose of
Christian writing. While "upbuilding" offers a literal translation of the Danish word
Kierkegaard uses, this word could also be translated as "edifying." Kierkegaard's point is
that Christian writing should contribute to spiritual development.
,In tr odu ction
Sum m ar y
In the Bible, Christ raises Lazarus from the dead. Christ teaches us that physical death is
not the end of life. Whereas sickness, death, and earthly suffering may seem awful to
non-Christians, to Christians they are but temporary inconveniences on the way to
salvation and eternal life. Christians, however, must face a deeper fear than the fear of
death: they may fear that their faith is not sufficient to bring them eternal life. This
deeper fear is the true "sickness unto death."
An alysis
The Introduction expands on the themes of the Preface, offering some suggestion of
what Kierkegaard means by "despair," as well as some explanation of how Kierkegaard
interprets Christ's teaching of the resurrection. Christians are aware of the teaching of
eternal life. According to Kierkegaard, this knowledge frees them from the earthly cares
and concerns that afflict non-Christians. However, just as it makes them aware of the
possibility of eternal happiness, so does it also create the possibility of a deeper
unhappiness or despair: they may worry that their faith in God is not strong enough to
bring them eternal life.
This relationship between Christianity and despair is a good example of dialectics.
Kierkegaard implies that there is a dialectical balance between happiness and
unhappiness. The pagan or non-Christian enjoys earthly pleasures that are balanced by
the earthly fear of sickness and death. The Christian enjoys higher spiritual pleasures,
including anticipation of eternal life. But these higher pleasures bring about a higher
fear: the fear that one will suffer an eternal death and not enjoy eternal pleasures.
Par t I.A.
Sum m ar y
A human being is "a self which relates itself to itself" and which has been "established by
another." Two forms of despair are possible for such selves: despair not to will to be
oneself, and despair to will to be oneself. The final paragraph of Part I.A.a. defines the
condition of a self that is not in despair as a condition in which the self "in relating to
itself and in willing to be itself" develops a "transparent" relationship with "the power
that established it."
Part I.A.b. shows that despair is at once a distinction and a curse. Despair is a
distinction because it is possible only for spiritual beings. It is not possible for animals
(which do not have free spirits), nor for the non-Christians of the distant past (who were
not aware of themselves as free spirits that could attain eternal life). Nevertheless,
despair is a condition of awful unhappiness and frustration.
, It is immensely difficult to overcome despair. Whereas physical sicknesses are caught at
a discrete time and then endured, despair is a spiritual condition that one is continually
catching unless one is continually rooting it out.
Part I.A.c. elaborates on the torments and complexities of despair. For Christian people,
who are aware of eternal life, physical illness is not the "sickness unto death." The
sickness unto death for them is worse. If Christian people do not attain eternal life, the
alternative is a condition of eternal death—a condition in which one continues to exist
even though one is dying or wants to die.
Part I.A.c. also offers two down-to-earth examples of despair. The first example is a
person who wants to be Caesar but fails to accomplish this goal. This person appears to
be despairing over something (over not being Caesar). In fact, however, he is despairing
over himself: he wishes that he were something that he is not (Caesar), and he wishes
that he were not himself (since he is not Caesar). The second example makes the same
point. A girl whose lover has died or has betrayed her may appear to be despairing over
the lover, but in fact she despairs over herself; she wishes that she were still her lover's
beloved.
The final three paragraphs return to the point that despair is an eternal condition.
Whereas physical illness ends in physical death, the spiritual sickness of despair
torments the spirit without killing it.
An alysis
Kierkegaard's writing in this section may seem confusing and unclear. He never offers a
straightforward definition of his key term, "despair." Instead, he provides a series of
different comments and examples and leaves it up to the reader to make sense of what
he is saying.
If you were to write something like this your professor would probably fail your paper.
Experts on Kierkegaard, however, see this style as an integral part of Kierkegaard's
philosophical message and have gone to great lengths to explain what it contributes to
his philosophy.
The most common explanation of what Kierkegaard is up to is that, unlike the scientists
and scholars he criticizes, Kierkegaard is not trying to communicate straightforward
facts, but rather to provoke a new state of awareness in his readers. He therefore writes
in an circuitous manner that is meant more to provoke reflection than to communicate
clear ideas.
Some Kierkegaard experts have argued that the format of The Sickness Unto Death—its
complex structure of parts and sections and subsections, its many definitions and
The Sickness Unto Death
(The Com plete Notes)
Pr eface
Sum m ar y
Kierkegaard apologizes that some readers may find his book "strange," since it appears
to lack the seriousness one would presumably expect from a book on spiritual matters.
However, it is in fact scholarly treatments that lack the appropriate manner. Whereas
science and scholarship provide information about history and the world of objects and
facts, "Christianity" is concerned with the spiritual well-being of individual human
beings. Christian writing should therefore speak directly to the individual, even if this
means adopting a less formal style.
Christian writing should adopt the manner of a "physician at a sickbed." "Despair" is the
sickness in question, and the "cure" for despair is "to die unto the world"—that is, to
adopt a spiritual outlook.
An alysis
The irony and sarcasm of the Preface is typical of Kierkegaard's writing style. Rather
than make straightforward arguments in support of his position, he often proceeds by
ridiculing opposing views. His main target is science and historical scholarship.
Scholarly and scientific writing pompously claims to offer unambiguous, "objective"
facts. In Kierkegaard's view, it misses the point, since the issues of greatest concern to
living human beings are not facts about the external world; they are spiritual matters
that people must deal with privately.
The Preface sets up the major theme of the book, "despair." Despair is the "sickness unto
death" referred to in the title. The point of The Sickness Unto Death is to demonstrate
that "faith" is the way to overcome despair. Just what Kierkegaard means by despair—
and by faithwill become more clear as the book advances.
Note: In some translations, the Preface refers to "upbuilding" as the purpose of
Christian writing. While "upbuilding" offers a literal translation of the Danish word
Kierkegaard uses, this word could also be translated as "edifying." Kierkegaard's point is
that Christian writing should contribute to spiritual development.
,In tr odu ction
Sum m ar y
In the Bible, Christ raises Lazarus from the dead. Christ teaches us that physical death is
not the end of life. Whereas sickness, death, and earthly suffering may seem awful to
non-Christians, to Christians they are but temporary inconveniences on the way to
salvation and eternal life. Christians, however, must face a deeper fear than the fear of
death: they may fear that their faith is not sufficient to bring them eternal life. This
deeper fear is the true "sickness unto death."
An alysis
The Introduction expands on the themes of the Preface, offering some suggestion of
what Kierkegaard means by "despair," as well as some explanation of how Kierkegaard
interprets Christ's teaching of the resurrection. Christians are aware of the teaching of
eternal life. According to Kierkegaard, this knowledge frees them from the earthly cares
and concerns that afflict non-Christians. However, just as it makes them aware of the
possibility of eternal happiness, so does it also create the possibility of a deeper
unhappiness or despair: they may worry that their faith in God is not strong enough to
bring them eternal life.
This relationship between Christianity and despair is a good example of dialectics.
Kierkegaard implies that there is a dialectical balance between happiness and
unhappiness. The pagan or non-Christian enjoys earthly pleasures that are balanced by
the earthly fear of sickness and death. The Christian enjoys higher spiritual pleasures,
including anticipation of eternal life. But these higher pleasures bring about a higher
fear: the fear that one will suffer an eternal death and not enjoy eternal pleasures.
Par t I.A.
Sum m ar y
A human being is "a self which relates itself to itself" and which has been "established by
another." Two forms of despair are possible for such selves: despair not to will to be
oneself, and despair to will to be oneself. The final paragraph of Part I.A.a. defines the
condition of a self that is not in despair as a condition in which the self "in relating to
itself and in willing to be itself" develops a "transparent" relationship with "the power
that established it."
Part I.A.b. shows that despair is at once a distinction and a curse. Despair is a
distinction because it is possible only for spiritual beings. It is not possible for animals
(which do not have free spirits), nor for the non-Christians of the distant past (who were
not aware of themselves as free spirits that could attain eternal life). Nevertheless,
despair is a condition of awful unhappiness and frustration.
, It is immensely difficult to overcome despair. Whereas physical sicknesses are caught at
a discrete time and then endured, despair is a spiritual condition that one is continually
catching unless one is continually rooting it out.
Part I.A.c. elaborates on the torments and complexities of despair. For Christian people,
who are aware of eternal life, physical illness is not the "sickness unto death." The
sickness unto death for them is worse. If Christian people do not attain eternal life, the
alternative is a condition of eternal death—a condition in which one continues to exist
even though one is dying or wants to die.
Part I.A.c. also offers two down-to-earth examples of despair. The first example is a
person who wants to be Caesar but fails to accomplish this goal. This person appears to
be despairing over something (over not being Caesar). In fact, however, he is despairing
over himself: he wishes that he were something that he is not (Caesar), and he wishes
that he were not himself (since he is not Caesar). The second example makes the same
point. A girl whose lover has died or has betrayed her may appear to be despairing over
the lover, but in fact she despairs over herself; she wishes that she were still her lover's
beloved.
The final three paragraphs return to the point that despair is an eternal condition.
Whereas physical illness ends in physical death, the spiritual sickness of despair
torments the spirit without killing it.
An alysis
Kierkegaard's writing in this section may seem confusing and unclear. He never offers a
straightforward definition of his key term, "despair." Instead, he provides a series of
different comments and examples and leaves it up to the reader to make sense of what
he is saying.
If you were to write something like this your professor would probably fail your paper.
Experts on Kierkegaard, however, see this style as an integral part of Kierkegaard's
philosophical message and have gone to great lengths to explain what it contributes to
his philosophy.
The most common explanation of what Kierkegaard is up to is that, unlike the scientists
and scholars he criticizes, Kierkegaard is not trying to communicate straightforward
facts, but rather to provoke a new state of awareness in his readers. He therefore writes
in an circuitous manner that is meant more to provoke reflection than to communicate
clear ideas.
Some Kierkegaard experts have argued that the format of The Sickness Unto Death—its
complex structure of parts and sections and subsections, its many definitions and
