What is it about?
n his fever of continuous philosophical reflections Soeren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), paid special respect to the thinkers, who experienced anxiety for the absolute values and followed the way of martyrdom and personal sacrifice, remaining stable with reverence for their principles and doctrines. Among the persons who gained Kierkegaard’s deep respect and reverence for their moral purity and simple life were Abraham, Job, St. Paul, and Socrates.
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Why is it important?
Socrates was Kierkegaard’s finest symbol of wisdom, simplicity, honesty, sincerity, and force of character. “Socrates was a person of reference to me…He filled my soul to overflowing. My duty was Socrates’ duty” he used to say with youthful enthusiasm. In his diary wrote, “Socrates was the man who exercised on my personality the strongest influence, even from my early youth”. Kierkegaard used to study with great enthusiasm the Platonic dialogues published by Astius, as well as the Platonic Dictionary (Lexikon Platonikum), which was published by Schleiermacher. He concluded that Socrates was an archetype, a paradigm, a model of philosophical life, who dedicated his life to moral perfection, emphasizing the importance of self-knowledge. According to Kierkegaard, the Socratic doctrines are of fundamental and lasting value for Western Civilization as well as for the continuous moral culture of the human being. He attempted to apply the Socratic ethical mission and vocation for moral purity as the unique philosophical background for the strength of mind of the man of our days.
Perspectives
Socrates was the unique authority who combined simplicity with heroism and martyrdom. He was the pedagogue of morality, self-control, and perfection, who had the strength to die for the truth. According to Kierkegaard, Socrates wrote the best chapter of existential philosophy. He wrote in his diary “Socrates is the only man, who introduced the concept of the existence” and admitted also that his philosophical orientation was deeply inspired by the Socratic doctrines. The doctrines of a man who loved the beautiful and good and remained an extraordinary authority, are always contemporaneous. The man of our Era needs Socratic philosophy to confront his anxiety, agony, sadness, solitude, perplexity, and weakness of mind.
Professor Stavros J Baloyannis or Balogiannis or Balojannis or Baloyiannis or Mpalogiannis
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
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This page is a summary of: Kierkegaard on Socrates: the strength and purity of mind, Journal of Neurology & Stroke, August 2021, MedCrave Group LLC,
DOI: 10.15406/jnsk.2021.11.00468.
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