/lit/ - Literature

>>1511998
Hegel came up with a dialectic. In this dialectic he states that throughout history, different civilizations have influenced one another, and evolved, through an almost Darwinian series of events. According to Hegel, this series of events led to Hegel's civilization, which he believed was the most advanced form of civilization. Hegel saw freedom and philosophy as mutually dependent, as well as the ideal.

Kierkegaard devised a dialectic in response to Hegel's claim that "philosophy is du hurp!". He developed three modes of existence: the aesthetic, the ethic, and the religious.

The aesthetic mode deals with a very hedonistic approach to life. The individual moves away from society in a daemonic fashion (much like the Romantics) and pursues the pleasures of life. Eventually, this leads to loneliness and despair.
For Kierkegaard, the ethical mode (emphasis on community, eventual, and disclosure) is sought be the aesthete when he wants to "settle down" (for the path of the aesthete is a lonely one).

The religious mode of existence is basically the same as the aesthetic mode. However, it differs based on the individuals relationship with God (hence Kierkegaard following the Lutheran religion).
Basically, Kierkegaard believed an individual goes through these modes of living. The trick is living in all three at the same time.