The first edition of Two Ethico-Religious Treatises by Danish existentialist philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, containing two separate essays titled ‘Has a Man the Right to Let Himself Be Put to Death for the Truth?’ and ‘On the Difference between a Genius and an Apostle.’
In the first essay, Kierkegaard wonders whether the martyr has a right to die for the truth by addressing and unravelling the very idea and practice of Christian martyrdom. Underlying this theme is his own abandonment of his fiancée Regine Olsen and of the persistent image of the crucified Christ that was pounded into him as a child by his father—as opposed to the risen Christ or the Christ child. Kierkegaard concludes that “a man (unlike God) does not have the right to let himself be put to death for the truth…[he should be] lovingly concerned for others, for those who, if one is put to death, must become guilty of putting one to death”. He is concerned with what executions do to those people who perform them.
In the second, Kierkegaard fascination with the topic of authority – something he had been concerned with since Adolf Peter Adler (1812-1869), a Hegelian, was deposed because he claimed to have had a revelation. To make matters worse, Adler later recanted, claiming that his work was a work of genius. Kierkegaard asserted that Adler completely confused the categories of genius and inspiration.
Here Kierkegaard emphasises the staggering distance from an apostle, who is a man associated with the absolute (the religious), to a genius. He regarded it as thoughtless to call St. Paul a genius if he was divinely inspired, that is, spoke with authority. Kierkegaard considered himself a genius and made a point of saying that he was “without authority.”
Kierkegaard routinely made use of pseudonyms throughout his career, particularly for his more concentrated publications on the philosophy of religion and his various anticlerical attacks on the Church of Denmark. The preset work appeared under the pseudonym ‘H.H.’ and was the only occasion that Kierkegaard would make use of this particular pseudonym.
Provenance: contemporary ownership inscription ‘Olbrich Sundby’ to title page, late nineteenth century ownership inscription ‘Skor Sundby’ and private library inventory ‘S. Kiergaard No 23.’ to front free endpaper.
Himmelstrup, 116.
