Kierkegaard was born in Copenhagen, where he also spent all his days. He studied theology, philosophy, and literature at the University of Copenhagen. His father was a wool merchant, whose melancholy, pietistic faith, and thoughts of sin, suffering, and grace infected Kierkegaard's world view. In 1840 he became engaged to Regine Olsen, but broke the relationship next year, devoting himself entirely to writing

Kierkegaard's first significant book was his M.A. dissertation OM BEGREBET IRONI (1841), which criticized prevailing Hegelian assumptions. In AFSLUTTENDE UVIDENSKABELIG EFTERSKRIFT (1846) he attaced all philosophical system building, and formulated the thesis that subjectivity is truth. Individual has freedom to choose his own truth on the subjective basis of faith. The Concept of Dread (1884) presents man's nameless dread of nothingness and his despair at his own limitations as tending to awaken him to his need for religion.

When writing series of articles, compiled as Attack Upon "Christendom" (1854-1855), Kierkegaard was suddenly stricken with a spinal disease and died within a month.

Kierkegaard was a very prolicif writer. At his creative peak he published 12 books in one and a half year (1843-44), using many pseudonyms, sometimes even attacking his own books under a different name.

Selected writings:

• OM BEGREBET IRONI, 1841 - The Concept of Ironi
• ENTEN-ELLER, 1843 - Either-Or
• PHILOSOPHISKE SMULER, 1844 - Philosophical Fragments
• BEGREBET ANGEST, 1844 - Ahdistus
• AFSLUTTENDE UVIDENSKABELIG EFTERSKRIFT, 1846 - Concluding Unscientific Postscript
• KJERLIGHEDENS GJERNINGER, 1847 - Works of Love
• CHRISTELIGE TALER, 1848 - Christian Discourses
• SYGDOMEN TIL DØDEN, 1849 - The Sickness unto Death
• PAPIRER, 20 vol., 1909-48
• SAMLEDE VÆRKER, 15 vol, 1920-36

EXISTENTIALISM: See also Jean Paul Sartre.

---