Deck 21: Søren Kierkegaard: Faith and Truth

Question 1

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-According to Kierkegaard, the truth in its highest form is

A) objective certainty.
B) uncertainty.
C) objectivity.
D) subjectivity.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-According to Kierkegaard, without risk, there is no

A) belief.
B) faith.
C) objective understanding.
D) love.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-According to Kierkegaard, the objective uncertainty, held fast in an appropriation process of the most passionate inwardness, is

A) an objective certainty.
B) the truth.
C) useless.
D) the unknown.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-According to Kierkegaard, the object of faith is

A) the absurd.
B) probable propositions.
C) objectively proven statements.
D) the sane and sensible.

Question 5

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-Kierkegaard says that a person can achieve faith through objective inquiries into God's existence.

Question 6

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-He claims that what matters in religious belief is not what you believe but rather how you believe.

Question 7

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-For Kierkegaard, faith is possible only where there is objective uncertainty.

Question 8

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-Kierkegaard says that subjectivity is the truth.

Question 9

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-Kierkegaard says that when the eternal truth is related to an existing individual, truth becomes a paradox.

Question 10

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-Kierkegaard thinks reason should be denied in every situation.

Question 11

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-Kierkegaard says that Socrates was the most ignorant of real truth.

Question 12

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-Kierkegaard eventually embraced his Judaism.

Question 13

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-Kierkegaard says that the core story of Christianity is absurd.

Question 14

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-Kierkegaard says that paradox and passion belong together as a perfect match.

Question 15

In this excerpt from his famous Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard declares that faith is the highest virtue, far superior to reason. The latter can render belief in God only a barren probability, a dry uncertainty or approximation; but the former gives you a deeply fulfilling subjective certainty. This risky "leap of faith" requires an utmost act of will-an extreme passion-to believe what cannot otherwise be believed, to believe what is absurd. Great absurdities (such as Christianity's central story, says Kierkegaard) require great, passionate faith, and such faith is "the highest truth there is for an existing human being."
-Most modern scientists now hold a Kierkegaardian view concerning objective and subjective reality.