107: Søren Kierkegaard - Fear & Trembling

This podcast episode delves into the life and philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard, focusing on his concept of faith as presented in *Fear and Trembling*. The speaker begins by situating Kierkegaard within the context of existentialism, then explores his biography, highlighting key events like his broken engagement and strained relationship with the Church. The core argument centers on Kierkegaard's interpretation of Abraham's binding of Isaac, contrasting "infinite resignation" with true faith, exemplified by Abraham's unwavering belief despite the absurdity of the situation. The episode concludes by contrasting Kierkegaard's view of faith with Nietzsche's, emphasizing the difficulty and paradoxical nature of genuine faith. The speaker uses the example of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac to illustrate the concept of faith as a challenging, rather than comfortable, state of being.