The Task of Hope in Kierkegaard

235 Pages·2015·1.21 MB·English

by  Mark Bernier

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THE TASK OF HOPE IN KIERKEGAARD
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The Task of Hope
in Kierkegaard
MARK BERNIER
1
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3
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For Chris
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Acknowledgments
Without the help and support of many people, this book—a task of hope
indeed—would never have been written. It is truly my privilege to acknow-
ledgesuchfriendsandcolleagues.First,IwouldliketothankMartinSchwab.
From the beginning, his personal encouragement for the project was im-
mensely valuable. His penetrating insight, advice, and long discussions, have
allshapedmyunderstandingofKierkegaard.ToMartin,Iamdeeplygrateful.
IwouldalsoliketothankDavidSmithandHowardWettstein,fordiscussion
oncentralideasdevelopedinthisbook,aswellastheirinterestintheproject.
It is with real happiness that I acknowledge Aaron Griffith, Casey Hall,
and Jonathan Shoemaker, for commenting on drafts (sometimes multiple
versions), and talking through some of the many puzzles I encountered in
Kierkegaard.AaronandI,inparticular,spentagreatmanyhoursmullingover
Kierkegaard,forwhichIamenormouslygrateful.IamalsoindebtedtoAlvin
Plantinga, for reading some sections on my discussion of faith, and an
anonymous reader, who offered many helpful comments on the manuscript
(becauseofthesecommentstheworkasawholehasvastlyimproved—thank
you). But special thanks go to Sylvia Walsh—her help and encouragement
were instrumental in getting this book to where it is now. Her generosity, in
offering comments and advice, and believing in the merits of this project,
cannot be overestimated. It is a privilege to acknowledge what her help has
meanttome.Furthermore,theUniversityofCalifornia,Irvine,Departmentof
Philosophy, and School of Humanities, made this possible through their
generoussupport.
IalsowishtocallattentiontoMauriceandUrsulaBernier,RuthJohn,Paul
and Charlene Bernier, Robert Petrucci, and Peter John—for their unflagging
optimismandunwaveringsupport(asonlyfamilycanprovide).
Finally,IthankChris:Idedicatethistoyou.
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Contents
ListofAbbreviations xi
1. Introduction 1
2. TheKierkegaardianSelf 9
3. OnDespair 35
4. DespairandHope 57
5. TheConceptofHope 81
6. HopeandtheTaskoftheSelf 143
7. InfiniteResignation:TheFirstMovementofFaith 157
8. HopeandtheKnightofFaith 186
Epilogue 212
Bibliography 215
Index 219