existentialism. His style of writing, his tone and vocabulary tie him closely to another forerunner of existentialist thought: Fyodor Dostoevsky (although either of them would probably deny this vehemently). However, in the course of his writings, Kierkegaard takes quite a liberal and (dare I say it?) individualistic stand on the side of Christianity. In the passages I have read of Kierkegaard ("That Individual" and "Truth is Subjectivity"), he puts forward two basic themes which seem to be his "driving force" behind each piece respectively. It is behind these themes that Kierkegaard makes his forceful drive to discover the "eternal truth" and the paths which lead us there.

Kierkegaard wastes no time in setting the tone for the first selection, "That Individual". Right away he starts his discussion on the "crowd", which he states early on is (in its very concept) the untruth. In a crowd, the vociferation and frenzy of that crowd often drowns out the truth, even if each member of that crowd has individually obtained the truth . Kierkegaard makes the statement that "only one attains the goal", in that we all are capable of obtaining said goal (in this case the

To begin his search for the method by which to obtain this Christian

As we continue on our journey of truth Kierkegaard reiterates his theme like an award-winning opera, this time with more emphasis than the first. In this he does once again state that only the individual, aided by God, can achieve the ultimate truth of Christianity. He goes further, however, to declare that the communication of the truth can only be perceived or expressed by the individual. The press and the populace therefore cannot carry or fully express the eternal truth, for it is only communicated through God to the individual. Kierkegaard likewise goes on to state that the truth is also to fear God and honor one's neighbor. In this Kierkegaard states his opinion on human equality, that if everyone were to truly love his neighbor as himself then complete human equality would be attained. He does show some resentment with this ideology, however, in that loving one's neighbor is simply a form of self-denial -- a way to make what seems to be an easier truth than that which one would aspire to. In this respect, Kierkegaard says that placing one's authority in this system is also the untruth.

As we delve deeper into the passage, we almost discover a politico-religious message hits us shortly after he forms his original premise. Kierkegaard states that the crowd being the untruth, none has more disregard for what it is to be a man than those people who see fit to lead this flock of falsehood. In elaboration, Kierkegaard goes on to state that even Christ, who taught the incognizant masses about human compassion and salvation through the Lord's ways, deliberately chose not to have any crowd affiliation of any type. He only existed as the Truth, remaining unflinched by the populace, even to his own crucifixion. The only way Kierkegaard sees that one could address the crowd like a politician and remain a competent seeker of truth is to address the masses not with the intent of teaching them something but with the aim to enlighten one of those in the crowd to individually seek out the truth for himself. After all that is the only way to the eternal truth, and the truth itself is in its most eminent degree "the most 'impolitic' thing that can be imagined".

Objectively, each of the premises on which Christianity is built slowly fall apart. Objectively, a human can't believe there is an immortality without having some proof of it first. Objectively, the truth is existent whe

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Approximate Word count = 1659
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)