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<p>This article compares two groundings of ethics: the ethical postulates of Immanuel Kant with the existential thinking of S. Kierkegaard. To achieve this goal, first, it proposes highlighting the fundamental ideas of Kantian ethics; then, secondly, highlighting Kierkegaard’s ethical stance; and finally, contrasting both approaches to identify differences and similarities. Conclusively, we can say that the pure Kantian ethical formality of duty for duty’s sake necessarily dispenses with existential and concrete content; it is an ethics that is grounded in itself, that refers to itself, to the rational nature of the human being and its universality. In contrast, Kierkegaardian ethics is a Christian ethics, it is the ethics of love for one’s neighbour and, above all, for God; it is a relational and existential ethics of the single individual.</p>
</abstract>

This article compares two groundings of ethics: the ethical postulates of Immanuel Kant with the existential thinking of S. Kierkegaard. To achieve this goal, first, it proposes highlighting the fundamental ideas of Kantian ethics; then, secondly, highlighting Kierkegaard’s ethical stance; and finally, contrasting both approaches to identify differences and similarities. Conclusively, we can say that the pure Kantian ethical formality of duty for duty’s sake necessarily dispenses with existential and concrete content; it is an ethics that is grounded in itself, that refers to itself, to the rational nature of the human being and its universality. In contrast, Kierkegaardian ethics is a Christian ethics, it is the ethics of love for one’s neighbour and, above all, for God; it is a relational and existential ethics of the single individual.

The Kantian ethical perspective seen from the existential philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard’s Victor Eremita

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, RUDN University

Ethics & Bioethics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

This article compares two groundings of ethics: the ethical postulates of Immanuel Kant with the existential thinking of S. Kierkegaard. To achieve this goal,...

The Kantian ethical perspective seen from the existential philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard’s Victor Eremita

Published Online: Jun 04, 2021

Page range: 48 - 57

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ebce-2021-0003

Keywords
Kant, duty, categorical imperative, Kierkegaard, individual, love

© 2021 José García Martín et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Kantian ethical perspective seen from the existential philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard’s Victor Eremita

Published Online: Jun 04, 2021

Page range: 48 - 57

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ebce-2021-0003

KeywordsKant, duty, categorical imperative, Kierkegaard, individual, love

© 2021 José García Martín et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Kant, duty, categorical imperative, Kierkegaard, individual, love