Either/Or: A Fragment of Life

by Soren Kierkegaard, Alastair Hannay (Translator), Alastair Hannay (Introduction), Victor Eremita (Editor)

Overview

In Either/Or, using the voices of two characters—the aesthetic young man of part one, called simply "A," and the ethical Judge Vilhelm of the second section—Kierkegaard reflects upon the search for a meaningful existence, contemplating subjects as diverse as Mozart, drama, boredom, and, in the famous Seducer's Diary, the cynical seduction and ultimate rejection of a young, beautiful woman. A masterpiece of duality, Either/Or is a brilliant exploration of the conflict between the aesthetic and the ethical - both meditating ironically and seductively upon Epicurean pleasures, and eloquently expounding the noble virtues of a morally upstanding life.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780140445770
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/01/1992
Series:	Penguin Classics Series
Edition description:	Abridged
Pages:	640
Sales rank:	42,603
Product dimensions:	5.09(w) x 7.77(h) x 1.09(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

S¢ren Kierkegaard (1813-55) was born in Copenhagen, the youngest of seven children. His childhood was unhappy, clouded by the religious fervour of his father, and the death of his mother, his sisters and two brothers. Educated at the School of Civic Virtue, he went on study theology, liberal arts and science at university, gaining a reputation for his academic brilliance and extravagant social life. He began to criticize Christianity, and in 1841 broke off his engagement to concentrate on his writing. Over the next ten years he produced a flood of works, in particular twelve major philosophical essays, many written under noms de plume. By the end of his life he had become an object of public ridicule, but he is now enjoying increasing acclaim. 

Alastair Hannay was educated at the Edinburgh Academy, the University of Edinburgh and University College London. In 1961 he became a resident of Norway and is now Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oslo.

Table of Contents

Either/Or Translator's Note
Introduction
Part One: Containing the Papers of A
Preface
1. Diapsalmata
2. The Immediate Erotic Stages or the Musical Erotic
3. Ancient Tragedy's Reflection in the Modern
4. Shadowgraphs
5. The Unhappiest One
6. Crop Rotation
7. The Seducer's Diary
Part Two: Containing the Papers of B: Letters to A
1. The Aesthetic Validity of Marriage
2. Equilibrium between the Aesthetic and the Ethical in the Development of Personality
3. Last Word
4. The Edifying in the Thought that Against God We Are Always in the Wrong
Notes