Kierkegaard s An Age Of Dispassionate Reflection - 954 Words

Soren Kierkegaard, in his essay, the Present Age, writes about two ages—the passionate age and the present age: an age of dispassionate reflection. Kierkegaard believes the present age to be centered on reflection (deliberation, representation, anticipation), which substitutes for decisive action. The present age, according to Kierkegaard is â€Å"characterized by an ‘unhappy objectivity,’ in which the individual has become ‘leveled down’ and loses himself as part of a crowd. â€Å" One aspect of this unhappy objectivity is that our age is an age of reflection rather than of passion. Kierkegaard suggests, the most dangerous, if also the most respectable of all diseases is to admire in public what is considered unimportant in private - since†¦show more content†¦This is dangerous because in the act of doing so, we lose our true selves in the process. Kierkegaard strongly believes in the idea of individuality. If individuals (as individuals) take it upon themselves to experience first-hand meaningful action and informed opinion (which is risky) they will gain something precious. Yet, many would rather stay in the safety (and effortlessness) of the public and live meaninglessly. Kierkegaard uses the example of the skater to demonstrate his assertion of â€Å"the most dangerous of all diseases†. The skater, on a frozen lake with dangerously thin ice, sees a jewel in the distance. In the passionate age, he argues, the public would cheer and support the skater as he made efforts to reach the jewel. They would worry for him and show concern at any sign of danger. However, in an age absent of passion, the crowds would agree on the fact that it was unreasonable and not worthwhile to engage in such a dangerous activity. In addition, they would praise themselves for being clever and practical for figuring this out. The qualities of being daring and enthusiastic for something an individual may be passionate about is malformed into a feat of skill, in which people are encouraged to surrender to â€Å"the most dangerous of all diseases†: â€Å"to admire in public what is