Repetition and Philosophical Crumbs by Soren Kierkegaard

Author:Soren Kierkegaard
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Philosophy, Classics, Kierkegaard
ISBN: 9780199214198
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2009-05-14T04:00:00+00:00

Philosophical Crumbs

or

A Crumb of Philosophy

By

JOHANNES CLIMACUS

Published

by

S. KIERKEGAARD

Can an eternal consciousness have a historical point of departure;

could such a thing be of more than historical interest; can one

build an eternal happiness on historical knowledge?

Better well hanged than ill wed.

(Shakespeare)*

PREFACE

[215]

WHAT is offered here is just a little piece, proprio Marte, propriis auspiciis, proprio stipendio,1 without any pretension to participation in the scholarly striving wherewith one acquires the right to exposition, to transitions, such as concluding and preliminary, to participation as a colleague or simply an enthusiast, as a hero, a relative hero, or at least an absolute trumpeter. It is just a little piece and remains such, even though I, like Holberg’s magister, volente deo*2 would follow it with a sequel in seventeen parts; it remains such, just as one who writes half-hour pieces produces only half-hour pieces, even if he produces volumes. The work is, however, in accordance with my abilities, I who do not, as that noble Roman merito magis quam ignavia3, refrain from serving the system, but am a comfortable idler, ex animi sententia,4 and for good reason. I would not wish, however, to commit an ,5 which is always a crime against the state,* but chiefly in a tumultuous age, since in olden times it was prohibited on pain of death. But suppose that one, by one’s interference, was guilty of a greater crime, to the extent that he caused only confusion; would it not have been better had he kept his concerns to himself? Not everyone is so fortunate that what preoccupies his thoughts corresponds to the interests of the general public, corresponds so perfectly that it is difficult to determine to what extent he is concerned for his own sake or for the sake of the general public. Did not Archimedes* sit calmly contemplating his circles while Syracuse was being taken, and did he not say to the Roman soldier who murdered him: ‘nolite perturbare circulos meos’?6 He who is not so fortunate can look to another model. When Philip threatened to lay siege to Corinth and all the inhabitants were busily occupied preparing to defend the city, with the one polishing his weapon, another collecting stones, and a third repairing the wall, Diogenes* saw this and hastily drew his robe about himself and rolled his tub zealously back and forth through the streets.

[216]

When asked why he did this, he answered: ‘I do not wish to be the only idler amongst so many diligent people, so I busy myself rolling my tub.’ Such behaviour is at least not sophistical, if Aristotle’s explanation that the art of sophistry is that with which one makes money is correct. Such behaviour can at least not result in a misunderstanding, in that it was unthinkable that anyone would have taken Diogenes for the saviour and benefactor of the city. It is similarly impossible that anyone could attribute world-historical significance* to such a modest piece (what I at least consider the greatest misfortune that could befall my project), or to suppose

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