Synopsis
Fear and Trembling, published in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio by Søren Kierkegaard, is a philosophical and theological masterpiece on the subject of faith, centered on the biblical story of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22). Kierkegaard grapples with the paradox of Abraham’s obedience to God’s command—an act that defies ethical norms but exemplifies absolute faith. The work isn’t a defense of Abraham ethical actions, but a meditation on the tension between ethical action and personal devotion to God.
Length: Shortish
120-150 pages in most printed editions, ±30,000 words. A relatively concise work designed to provoke thought rather than be exhaustive. You could read it in a day or two, although it is intense and often requires slower digestion.
The book unfolds in layers:
- Preface and Tuning Up: Johannes introduces his awe at Abraham’s faith, contrasting it with his own inability to grasp it, and offers four imaginative retellings of the Abraham-Isaac story—each tweaking the emotional stakes (e.g., Abraham’s despair, Isaac’s plea).
- Problemata: The core consists of three philosophical “problems”:
- Is There a Teleological Suspension of the Ethical?: Abraham’s willingness to kill Isaac suspends universal ethics (murder is wrong) for a higher divine purpose—faith trumps morality, but at what cost?
- Is There an Absolute Duty to God?: Abraham’s act suggests a duty to God overrides human norms, isolating the “knight of faith” from the comprehensible world.
- Was It Ethically Defensible for Abraham to Conceal His Undertaking?: Abraham hides his intent from Sarah, Isaac, and others—faith demands silence, not explanation, clashing with ethical openness.
- Knight of Faith vs. Knight of Resignation: Johannes contrasts resignation (accepting loss, like a lover letting go) with faith (trusting God to return what’s lost, like Abraham expecting Isaac back). Abraham embodies the latter—absurdly trusting God amidst the impossible.
Kierkegaard doesn’t resolve the paradox—he marvels at it. Abraham’s “fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12) is the anguish of faith: acting on divine command beyond reason or ethics, yet receiving grace (Isaac spared). Johannes admits he can’t mimic this—he’d balk or rationalize, not leap. The work critiques Hegelian ethics (universal systems) and exalts individual existential commitment, leaving readers to wrestle with faith’s terror and beauty.
Why Fear And Trembling Is Important to Read Today
Confronts Blind Obedience: In an age of ideological zeal—political, religious, or cultural—Kierkegaard forces us to ask: When does faith justify defying norms? Abraham’s story haunts debates on extremism or moral relativism.
Challenges Secular Rationality: As science and reason dominate, the book defends the “absurd”—faith beyond logic. It’s a counterweight to a world dismissing the transcendent as irrational.
Explores Personal Responsibility: The knight of faith stands alone, unjudged by society’s rules. In our hyper-connected, performative era, it’s a call to own your convictions, not crowdsource them.
Wrestles with Ethics vs. Faith: Today’s ethical dilemmas—abortion, war, AI—echo Kierkegaard’s tension. Can a higher purpose suspend universal laws? It’s raw fuel for moral philosophy.
Illuminates Psychological Depth: Modern psychology (e.g., trauma, existential crises) resonates with Abraham’s anguish and silence. It’s a lens on the human cost of belief, relevant to therapy and self-understanding.
Critiques Systemic Thinking: Hegelian universality gets a thrashing—systems can’t contain faith’s leap. In a bureaucratic, algorithm-driven world, it’s a rebel yell for the individual soul.
Three Defining Quotes from The Abolition of Man
“Faith begins precisely where thinking leaves off.”
“He who walks the narrow path of faith has no one to advise him—no one understands him.”
“The moment he is ready to act, the knight of faith has simultaneously renounced everything and received everything back by virtue of the absurd.”
Summary
Fear and Trembling isn’t cozy—it’s a gut-wrenching dive into faith’s edge, perfect for anyone questioning duty, meaning, or the clash between God and man’s rules today.
