Kierkegaard's philosophy, particularly his fideistic emphasis on faith transcending rational objectivity, is intricately tied to his critiques of approximation, postponement, and passion. These concepts collectively dismantle the primacy of reason in religious commitment, advocating instead for a subjective, passionate leap into faith. Below is an analysis of how these arguments support his fideism:
1. Approximation: The Limits of Rational Objectivity
Kierkegaard critiques the "approximation" of truth through systematic philosophy or empirical evidence, arguing that religious truth cannot be approached incrementally by reason. In Concluding Unscientific Postscript, he rejects the Hegelian notion of absolute knowledge, asserting that objective truths (e.g., historical proofs of Christianity) are irrelevant to existential faith. For Kierkegaard, truth is subjectivity: "The objective uncertainty, held fast in the most passionate inwardness, is the truth"
Link to fideism: By exposing the inadequacy of reason ("approximation") to grasp divine truths, Kierkegaard positions faith as a radical, non-rational commitment. This aligns with fideism’s rejection of evidentialism in religious belief.
2. Postponement: The Paralysis of Infinite Reflection
Postponement refers to the tendency to delay existential decisions through endless intellectual deliberation. In Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard mocks the "speculative thinker" who becomes trapped in abstract reflection, avoiding the urgency of personal commitment. He writes, "Decision is precisely the eternal protest against hesitation"
Link to fideism: Postponement exemplifies the failure of reason to resolve existential dilemmas. Fideism, as Kierkegaard conceives it, demands an immediate, decisive "leap" beyond reason’s paralysis. Faith requires action, not perpetual analysis.
3. Passion: The Subjective Intensity of Faith
Passion is central to Kierkegaard’s critique of the "present age," which he diagnoses as devoid of earnestness and consumed by detached objectivity. In Concluding Unscientific Postscript, passion is the "highest truth" for the existing individual, a fervent inwardness that animates faith. Without passion, religious adherence becomes a hollow ritual or intellectual exercise.
Link to fideism: Passion bridges the "infinite qualitative difference" between humanity and God. It transcends rational proofs, embodying the "risk" and "absurdity" of faith (as seen in Abraham’s sacrifice in Fear and Trembling). Fideism thus becomes a lived, subjective experience rather than a doctrinal system.
Synthesis: Fideism as the Antidote to Modern Alienation
Kierkegaard’s triad—approximation (reason’s failure), postponement (reflection’s paralysis), and passion (faith’s necessity)—collectively dismantle Enlightenment rationalism. His fideism emerges as a response to the existential vacuum of modernity, where objective certainty replaces authentic subjectivity. By prioritizing passion over reason, Kierkegaard redefines faith as a "teleological suspension of the ethical" (in Fear and Trembling), where the individual stands alone before God, unmediated by societal norms or empirical proofs
In summary, these arguments underscore Kierkegaard’s view that faith is not a conclusion but a category of existence, requiring a subjective, passionate commitment irreducible to rational justification. This aligns fideism with existential authenticity rather than doctrinal compliance.
Kierkegaard's statement—"The objective uncertainty, held fast in the most passionate inwardness, is the truth"—encapsulates the core of his existential epistemology and fideistic vision of faith. Let’s break down its meaning and implications:
1. "Objective Uncertainty"
Here, Kierkegaard rejects the Enlightenment ideal of certainty derived from empirical evidence, logical proofs, or systematic philosophy. For him, religious truth (e.g., God’s existence, the incarnation of Christ) cannot be "objectively" verified. Such truths are inherently paradoxical and lie beyond the grasp of reason.
Example: Historical-critical attempts to "prove" Christianity’s truth (e.g., through biblical scholarship) fail because faith is not a conclusion of evidence but a relationship to the infinite.
Implication: If religious truth were objectively certain, faith would dissolve into mere intellectual assent, losing its existential urgency.
2. "Held Fast in Passionate Inwardness"
The phrase "passionate inwardness" refers to the subjective intensity of the individual’s existential commitment. For Kierkegaard, truth is not a static proposition but a dynamic, lived reality that requires appropriation by the self.
Key contrast:
Objective truth: "Water boils at 100°C" (universal, impersonal, indifferent to the believer).
Subjective truth: "I stake my life on God’s love" (personal, passionate, transformative).
Role of passion: Passion is the "how" of faith, the energy that sustains belief despite objective uncertainty. It is not emotion but a totalizing existential orientation.
3. Synthesis: Truth as Paradoxical Tension
The statement’s power lies in its paradoxical union of uncertainty and conviction. Truth emerges not from resolving the tension but from embracing it:
Abraham in Fear and Trembling: Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac embodies this principle. His faith is absurd (objectively indefensible) yet absolute (subjectively certain through passionate commitment to God).
The Absurd: Kierkegaard defines faith as "holding fast to the objectively uncertain with the passion of the infinite." This mirrors Tertullian’s credo quia absurdum ("I believe because it is absurd") but grounds it in existential subjectivity.
Link to Fideism
This idea is foundational to Kierkegaard’s fideism, which asserts:
Faith transcends reason: Rational proofs are irrelevant (or even hostile) to authentic faith.
Risk defines belief: To believe without guarantees is to exercise true faith. As Climacus writes, "If I am able to grasp God objectively, I do not believe; but because I cannot do this, I must believe."
Existential urgency: Truth is not known but lived—a "leap" into the unknown, sustained by passion.
Critique of "Objectivity" in Modernity
Kierkegaard targets a cultural and philosophical malaise: the modern obsession with detachment, neutrality, and "proof." By elevating passionate inwardness over cold rationality, he argues:
Truth without passion is dead: A "truth" that does not transform the self is meaningless (e.g., a theologian who "understands" God but does not fear and tremble).
Certainty kills faith: The desire for objective certainty is a form of evasion—a refusal to confront the existential risk of belief.
Conclusion: Faith as Existential Truth
For Kierkegaard, this statement is not a rejection of reason but a redefinition of truth itself. Truth is not what we know but how we exist. In a world of ambiguity, faith becomes the highest expression of human subjectivity—a defiant "yes" to the unknown, sustained by the intensity of inward passion. This vision remains a cornerstone of existential theology and a radical alternative to both religious dogmatism and secular rationalism.
