Fear And Trembling

A character in the Hebrew Bible whom God commands to sacrifice his son. This story is the basis of Fear and Trembling, as Kierkegaard argues that Abraham’s actions cannot be understood by dialectic or intellect alone.

According to Hegel, the absolute can be discovered through the dialectic. The absolute is a rational, objective truth. Kierkegaard argues that the absolute cannot be known, as faith transcends rationality. However, the knight of faith can stand “in absolute relation to the absolute” (200), meaning he can find a personal relationship with God). 

The absurd is something that is unknowable, going beyond human possibility. Kierkegaard argues one must embrace the absurd in order to make the movement of faith. The absurd brings Isaac back to Abraham, as there is no reason that it should be so, and yet it is.