Question 1

True or false: Kierkegaard never left his native Denmark in his entire life.

Accepted Answer

False. He traveled to Berlin several times, attending lectures and writing major works like 'Either/Or'.

Question 2

True or false: Kierkegaard invented the concept of 'leap of faith' to describe religious belief.

Accepted Answer

True. Kierkegaard introduced the concept of a 'leap' as a metaphor for the passionate, non-rational commitment of faith, most notably in works like 'The Concept of Anxiety'.

Question 3

True or false: Søren Kierkegaard wrote under the pseudonym 'Johannes Climacus' to distance himself from his own views.

Accepted Answer

True. Kierkegaard employed pseudonyms like Johannes Climacus to present philosophical explorations indirectly, ensuring he was not identified with those specific viewpoints.

Question 4

True or false: Kierkegaard criticized the Danish state church for making Christianity too comfortable.

Accepted Answer

True. He attacked 'Christendom' as a lazy cultural religion, demanding authentic, difficult faith instead.

Question 5

True or false: Søren Kierkegaard was a devoted fan of the philosopher G.W.F. Hegel and adopted many of his ideas.

Accepted Answer

False. Kierkegaard fiercely opposed Hegel’s system, mocking its abstraction and lack of individual choice.

Question 6

True or false: Søren Kierkegaard was a close friend and rival of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

Accepted Answer

False. They never met; Nietzsche was born 11 years after Kierkegaard died and only read about him later.

Question 7

True or false: Søren Kierkegaard died from a heart attack while giving a speech against the church.

Accepted Answer

False. Kierkegaard collapsed in the street and died later in a hospital; no speech was involved.

Question 8

True or false: Kierkegaard's 'Fear and Trembling' was published under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio.

Accepted Answer

True. Kierkegaard published 'Fear and Trembling' in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio to explore the nature of faith through the biblical story of Abraham.

Søren Kierkegaard Trivia Questions