Kierkegaard

Kierkegaard believes in existentialism although it has a few distinct characteristics which set it apart. He believes that it is possible for a person to exist but not truly exist as a human being. For instance he states that our actions and decisions are how one expresses them selves and thus their existence in the world. This is important because in Kierkegaard’s eyes I feel that he would believe Mursault from the stranger is non existent. This is due to his action of not making decisions and just going through the motions in the first half of the novel. This is somewhat understandable from the quote “There are two types of men in a wagon, the one who falls asleep at the reigns and the one who is wide awake.” Thus the man whom is sleeping is currently non existent for he is not in control of his current situation nor playing any influential roll.

The first stage of Kierkegaard’s three stages is the aesthetic stage. This is where people express them selves through their impulses and desires,