We often think of philosophers as esoteric men with beards and robes who remain above the fray. But this is how we come to think of them only after they are gone and all that remains are their words. As Stephen Backhouse’s Kierkegaard: A Single Life shows, Søren Kierkegaard was a highly intelligent man and a stunningly prolific writer, but he wallowed in the fray. He gained notoriety in Copenhagen as a controversial writer who schemed, argued, and played the cad, all the while managing to produce a broad body of work that spanned religion, politics, and literature.

Kierkegaard (1813–1855) always considered himself a religious man, even though he was a harsh critic of the church. Backhouse makes it clear the Danish philosopher was familiar with the New Testament passage, “For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?” This quote could describe the course of Kierkegaard’s life. He always regretted the way he broke off the engagement with his finance, Regine Olsen. The whole unpleasant affair revealed Kierkegaard’s worst tendencies; he was an idealist in the sense that ideas were more important to him than people. This would explain his seemingly gratuitous cruelty toward the women he professed to love.

Blackstone presents Kierkegaard as a man of contradictions, whose positions incited both praise and criticism. He was certainly an independent thinker, but was there more to it? The sustained and biting attacks on the church by this self-avowed Christian came across as emotional and hyperbolic rants as much as reasoned and principled arguments. This work he devoted himself to in the final stage of his career is referred to as the “attack upon Christianity,” but also appears to be a personal attack on the clergy whom he called “frauds” and “liars” (page 24).

Kierkegaard’s life unfolded during Copenhagen’s Golden Age when the small city was a thriving literary and intellectual community. He thrust himself into this world in 1834, when he participated in a public debate in which he argued against more freedom for the press. He knew exactly what he was doing as one of his countless journal entries reveals: “Already as a young man I was aware of my intellectual gifts and that constituted my power over these far stronger companions” (page 41). He enjoyed tweaking the public’s nose, and he believed he was smart enough to get away with it.

One of the more fascinating parts of Backhouse’s book describes Kierkegaard’s public spat with a rival that played out in the pages of the local newspapers and journals. He experienced a series of incidents eerily similar to today’s trolling and bullying on social media that forced him to take taxi rides out to the country to walk so that he could avoid the taunts of children.

Kierkegaard made full use of one of the more interesting conventions of the 19th-century newspaper culture he was immersed in—the pseudonym. It was a common device used by both professional and amateur writers. Backhouse notes that Kierkegaard had a specific strategy in mind: “Pseudonymity provided the means by which Soren could explore and present different points of view without having to claim each account as his own” (page 112). But he wasn’t satisfied with one pseudonym or even two; Kierkegaard constructed an elaborate series of aliases—some with pseudonyms of their own. This was a tool the philosopher used to help him construct his method of indirect communication. He believed that by separating the author from his ideas, the reader had to consider the ideas without undue influence from the author.

Kierkegaard: A Single Life is a solid piece of work on an interesting man who was full of contradictions. Backhouse develops a clear picture of the philosopher’s life, describing his foibles and intellectual development as a public figure in the 19th-century Copenhagen. He performs a valuable service by including overviews of Kierkegaard’s major works at the end of the book. Kierkegaard would be a rewarding read for philosophy students with a little grounding in Kierkegaard’s ideas, as well as those of other philosophers to provide context. However, less informed readers would also learn a lot from Backhouse’s work and likely be inspired to read more on these subjects.

Great biographic piece on Kierkegaard. Well researched and engaging. While it was good, it felt very academic and not necessarily a leisure read Biography.

I’ve been reading Soren Kierkegaard’s journals and writings for years but knew little of the man himself. He is one of the greatest intellectual products of Denmark but not without scandals trailing him
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This book gives insight to Kierkegaard’s life and the events that shaped his writings
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Starting from the family he was born into, to his conflicted love life and engagement with Regine. He breaks off the engagement because he is convinced that Regine is too good for him. She fights hard to stay with him but “he adopts an attitude of cruel and calculated indifference towards her”. In the end, she is pushed away by her internally conflicted betrothed to the arms of another.
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Although he was the one who pushed her away, he lives to regret it and he writes so often about her that it beguiles the mind. Why did he not stay with her and grow to be a man deserving of such an amazing woman?
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His tortured heart and conflicted soul are channeled to writing one of the most controversial and intellectually stimulating writings about Christianity and Christendom.
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He died on Sunday 11 Nov 1855…aged 42
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One of my favourite Kierkegaard writing is Øjeblikket…if you have the time to read it, it’ll help you think in a drastically different tangent especially about the politics of Christendom
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Favourite Quote: “That engine powered such a literary output and such a quirky personality should moulder in the ground like any common man was a travesty to research.”

Did not finish, as I recall the first chapter(s) of the book were not engaging enough

This is the ideal biography. You get a story worth reading along with all of the fascinating details biographies usually carry. Even if you haven't heard of Kierkegaard, this is the perfect place to stumble upon him and be in awe.

Well written, doesn't get bogged down and make you feel like you are reading a text book.
I enjoy the way the author made this title informative but also entertaining.

Kierkegaard was one of the original existential thinkers. His work influenced Jean-Paul Satre and Albert Camus. Although his work wasn’t taught as part of my philosophy studies, I read and was interested in Kierkegaard’s work without really understanding where he fitted in the world of existential philosophy.

Backhouse masterfully tells Kierkegaard’s story – his difficult relationships at home, especially with his father and older brother Peter, of his tendency to annoy his teachers with his quick wit and out of the box thinking. Of his romance with and then complicated ditching of the only woman he would love. Of his trials and tribulations due to his physical ailments and disabilities. Of his public battle with and subsequent bullying by one of the main publications in his town. Of the love and affection his nieces and nephews described for this complicated and difficult man.

The accompanying illustrations also tell a story, particularly those caricatures of Kierkegaard himself, designed to humiliate and shame him.

Backhouse’s book also talks about Kierkegaard’s continuing influence on society today, from musicians like Arcade Fire and Childish Gambino, to the manga Sickness Unto Death and the twitter feed of @Kimkierkegaardashian, which mixes up Kim Kardashian’s words and Kierkegaard’s philosophy.
Backhouse has made me want to do something that I haven’t experienced in reading a biography before, which is to go back and revisit Kierkegaard’s work.

Whether you are familiar with Kierkegaard or have never heard of him (and if you are the latter, there is a section in the book that lists Kierkegaard’s works with descriptions) this is a wonderful and accessible read.