Who might reasonably be nominated as the funniest philosopher of all
time? With this anthology, Thomas Oden provisionally declares Søren
Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)--despite his enduring stereotype as the
melancholy, despairing Dane--as, among philosophers, the most amusing.
Kierkegaard not only explored comic perception to its depths but also
practiced the art of comedy as astutely as any writer of his time. This
collection shows how his theory of comedy is integrated into his
practice of comic perception, and how both are integral to his entire
authorship.
Kierkegaard's humor ranges from the droll to the rollicking; from farce
to intricate, subtle analysis; from nimble stories to amusing aphorisms.
In these pages you are invited to meet the wife of an author who burned
her husband's manuscript and a businessman who, even with an abundance
of calling cards, forgot his own name. You will hear of an interminable
vacillator whom archeologists found still pacing thousands of years
later, trying to come to a decision. Then there is the emperor who
became a barkeeper in order to stay in the know.
The Humor of Kierkegaard is for anyone ready to be amused by human
follies. Those new to Kierkegaard will discover a dazzling mind worth
meeting. Those already familiar with his theory of comedy will be
delighted to see it concisely set forth and exemplified. Others may have
read Kierkegaard intensively without having ever really noticed his
comic side. Here they will find what they have been missing.
