Philosophy 1301
[Date]
Kierkegaard’s “Teleological Suspension of the Ethical”
Soren Kierkegaard writes a series of sketches and descriptions which are called the stages
on Life’s Way, and seem to describe very well the stages that we go through in our path through
life. The first stage, the Aesthetic stage, seems to be the stage that he says we are in the longest
and are the most miserable in. Although it would seem to a teenager that that this stage would be
the most appealing stage of the three, it is also the most unfulfilling stage. I can relate to this very
well as I reflect to my own youth, and how relationships were sometimes meaningless and
unfulfilling by my own volition. I believe Kierkegaard describes this stage very accurately when
stating that the aesthete will be very afraid of long term commitment and boredom. Like the
example given in the book, about Don Juan and the many women for conquest, his lovers are
never real to him and only tokens tossing aside marriages, families, and careers. Kierkegaard
gives a great example for which I found very amusing when he says that the aesthete will set off
on conquests for the means of which to “find themselves” which is only “congenial” but not
authentic. I found this to be very true of myself, and seem to think that Kierkegaard agrees with
this for himself as well. I think what it meant to him when he describes these stages, is he is also
speaking from his own experiences and what he went through in his own youth.
In the Ethical stage, we finally begin to settle down with ourselves and begin to look for
meaningful relationships for which to begin the formation of marriages, families, and careers.
We begin to form principles for which to live by, and begin to follow “man’s law”. At this stage
in life, what matters most is an ethical will and making a commitment to the norms of society.
He goes on to say that nothing can be resolved in the ethical stage, and at some point we must all
[Date]
Kierkegaard’s “Teleological Suspension of the Ethical”
Soren Kierkegaard writes a series of sketches and descriptions which are called the stages
on Life’s Way, and seem to describe very well the stages that we go through in our path through
life. The first stage, the Aesthetic stage, seems to be the stage that he says we are in the longest
and are the most miserable in. Although it would seem to a teenager that that this stage would be
the most appealing stage of the three, it is also the most unfulfilling stage. I can relate to this very
well as I reflect to my own youth, and how relationships were sometimes meaningless and
unfulfilling by my own volition. I believe Kierkegaard describes this stage very accurately when
stating that the aesthete will be very afraid of long term commitment and boredom. Like the
example given in the book, about Don Juan and the many women for conquest, his lovers are
never real to him and only tokens tossing aside marriages, families, and careers. Kierkegaard
gives a great example for which I found very amusing when he says that the aesthete will set off
on conquests for the means of which to “find themselves” which is only “congenial” but not
authentic. I found this to be very true of myself, and seem to think that Kierkegaard agrees with
this for himself as well. I think what it meant to him when he describes these stages, is he is also
speaking from his own experiences and what he went through in his own youth.
In the Ethical stage, we finally begin to settle down with ourselves and begin to look for
meaningful relationships for which to begin the formation of marriages, families, and careers.
We begin to form principles for which to live by, and begin to follow “man’s law”. At this stage
in life, what matters most is an ethical will and making a commitment to the norms of society.
He goes on to say that nothing can be resolved in the ethical stage, and at some point we must all
