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His first and middle names are pronounced "Sir-ren O-boo". The Danish pronounciation of Kierkegaard's surname is "Keer-ker-gore", although outside Denmark it is often pronounced "Keer-ker-guard". The "aa" in his name equates to the modern Danish letter å (a with a ring over it), the pronunciation of which can vary but is closer to an English o than an a.
Søren Kierkegaard was born to an affluent family in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. His father, Michael Pedersen Kierkegaard, was a strongly religious man. Convinced that he had earned God's wrath, he believed that none of his children would live to the age of 34 ( Christ's age at crucifixion). The sins necessitating this punishment, he believed, included cursing the name of God in his youth, and possibly impregnating Kierkegaard's mother out of wedlock. In fact, his predictions were realized for all but two of his seven children. So strong was his father's conviction that Søren himself was surprised when he survived his 34th year (hence the title of his first major publication, From the Papers of One still Living ).
This early introduction to the notion of sin, and its connection from father and son, laid the foundation for much of Kierkegaard's work (particularly Fear and TremblingFear and Trembling (original Danish title: Frygt og Baeven is a philosophical work by Soren Kierkegaard, published in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de silencio. The title is apparently a reference to Philippians 2:12: ". continue to work out your salv). Kierkegaard's mother, Anne Sørensdatter Lund Kierkegaard, is not directly referred to in his books, although she too affected his later writings.
Despite his father's occasional religious melancholy, Kierkegaard and his father shared a close bond. Kierkegaard learned to explore the realm of his imagination through a series of exercises and games they played together.
Another important aspect of Kierkegaard's life that is generally considered to have had a major influence on his work, was his broken engagement to Regine Olsen . Kierkegaard's motive for ending the engagement remains mysterious. It is generally believed that the two were deeply in love -- perhaps even after she married Johan Frederik Schlegel (1817-1896), a prominent civil servant (not to be confused with the German philosopher Friedrich von Schlegel, 1772-1829). For the most part, their contact was limited to chance meetings on the streets of Copenhagen. Some years later, however, Kierkegaard went so far as to ask Regine's husband for permission to speak with her, but was refused. Soon afterward, the couple left the country, Schlegel having been appointed Governor in the Danish West IndiesThe Danish West Indies DWI are a former colony of Denmark in the Caribbean, now known as the U. Virgin Islands. The Danish West India and Guinea Company settled on St. Thomas island first in 1672, expanding to St. John in 1683 (a move disputed with the Br. By the time Regine returned, Kierkegaard was dead. Regine Schlegel lived until 19041904 is a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). Events January 7 The distress signal " CQD" is established only to be replaced two years later by " SOS. February 7 A fire in Baltimore, Maryland destroys over 1,500 buildings in 30, and upon her death she was buried near Kierkegaard in the Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen.
Kierkegaard's final years (1854-1855) were taken up with a sustained attack on the Danish State Church by means of newspaper articles published in The Fatherland (Fædrelandet) and a series of self-published pamphlets called The Moment (Øieblikket). Kierkegaard was initially called to action by a speech by Professor Hans Lassen Martensen, which called his recently deceased predecessor Bishop Jakob P. Mynster a "truth-witness, one of the authentic truth-witnesses." Kierkegaard had had an affection towards Mynster, but had come to see that his conception of Christianity was in man's interest, rather than God's, and in no way was Mynster's life comparable to that of a 'truth-witness.' Before the tenth number of the Moment could be published, Kierkegaard collapsed on the street and was taken to hospital where he died a month later.
Notes: Kierkergaard does not mean "church garden", nor "churchyard"; rather, it means (in this instance) "church farm" - that is, the farm, of farms in village, which is close to the church. Kierkegaard (kirkegård in modern Danish) can also mean "graveyard". Corresponding family names are Noerrgaard, Oestergaard, Soendergaard and Vestergaard, of farms north-, east-, south- and west- in the village.