Fear And Trembling/Repetition By Johannes De Silentio

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In Fear and Trembling/Repetition, Johannes de Silentio (also known as Soren Kierkegaard) states, “By faith Abraham did not renounce Isaac, but by faith Abraham received Isaac (Kierkegaard, 49).” This narrative and the young lad reveal the contrasting natures between the knight of infinite resignation and the knight of faith, which highlights how the movement of infinite resignation is similar yet utterly distinct from the movement of faith. Hence, it describes the underlying elements that define what the movement of faith is and what it is not. However, I will argue that Kierkegaard’s comparison is not cogent enough and therefore, challenging to grasp the knight of faith and infinite resignation’s authentic nature. I will illustrate that there are key differences in the knight of faith and the …show more content…

Both comprehend the impossible and the possible in vastly contrasting forms, as the knight of faith understands the eternal (impossible) and the knight of infinite resignation understands the spiritual (possible). This is shown in the story of Abraham and in the story of the young lad, thus describing how each knight finds joy in the midst of devastation. For instance, the story of the young lad falling hopelessly in love with the princess reflects the knight of infinite resignation. Silentio remarks this love provides the substance of his life and has the misfortune of never becoming realized, in which it cannot translate from ideality to reality (41). Instead of giving up on this love and banishing it into oblivion, the young lad immerses and absorbs himself in this love (42). The knight consciously decides to hold on to this love in the form of the spiritualized and herein he gives up this love in the temporal world (44). Only to then, resign himself to this fact and living with the pain

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