Sometimes described as the first existentialist, Soren Kierkegaard has a reputation for being a melancholy and misanthropic Christian theologian. It’s a reputation which is unjust. As a young man in 1841 he had gone to Berlin, in part to escape a failed romance, in part in search of philosophy, but also because of his tremendous passion for theatre and music.
And it was in Germany that he was to produce some of his most important works, including Either/Or, written in an intriguing number of voices and under a pseudonym. What was Kierkegaard trying to portray with these multiple fictitious characters? In Journeys in Thought, our series about turning points in the lives and thoughts of famous thinkers, Jonathan Rée travels to Berlin to discover why Kierkegaard found that city so inspirational.
The programme features interviews with Kierkegaard experts such as George Steiner, George Pattisson and Stephen Mulhall, while John Deathridge talks about Kierkegaard’s musical writings. Also featured are Tim Hagemann, Bernd Henningsen and Ulrich Johannes Schneider.
Journeys In Thought in more depth:
OU on the BBC: Journeys In Thought - About The Series
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Journeys in Thought focuses on crucial turning points in the lives and thoughts of great philosophers. Each programme focuses on one location – a place... Read more : OU on the BBC: Journeys In Thought - About The Series
Arendt
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Jonathan Rée introduces the philosophy of Hannah Arendt. Read more : Arendt
Kierkegaard
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Jonathan Rée shares his enthusiasm for the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. Read more : Kierkegaard
Marx: Biography
Mary Evans Picture Library
Karl Marx spent only a few years in Paris (1843-1845) but it was a defiining period in his life. Jonathan Rée explains why. Read more : Marx: Biography
Nietzsche Biography
Mary Evans Picture Library
Jonathan Rée summarizes the life and work of Friedrich Nietzsche. Read more : Nietzsche Biography
Rousseau
Mary Evans Picture Library
Jonathan Rée introduces the life and work of the French Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Read more : Rousseau
Wittgenstein
BBC
Jonathan Rée introduces the life and work of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Read more : Wittgenstein
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