KIERKEGAARD

CRITICAL ANALYSIS ON SUSPENSION OF ETHICS

Bro. Joseph Kombara

III Philosophy

         

Soren Aabye Kierkegaard is one of the most profound and influential thinkers of the nineteenth century.

          ‘Fear and trembling’ Kierkegaard’s most complete account of the essential nature of genuine religious existence uses the Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac.

          Abraham was a hereditary tribal leader of the Hebrews, whose faith was put to the test by God in the most severe manner. God commanded him to take his people on a journey to land of God, and made a covenant with Abraham, promising him that his barren wife, Sara, would produce a son, who would be the father of a generation.

          Then came the horrible night described in bible (Gen 22:1-2) when Abraham awoke to the voice of God commandeering him to sacrifice his son, top of mountain in the land of Moriah. As he was about to make the fatal trust with the sacrificial knife, the angel stopped him, and informed Abraham that he had passed the test. So he got his son back and lived the rest of his life with his peoples. Since then he has been celebrated as a worthy father of nations and ‘father of faith’. 

          Abraham did this act for the sake of god, and for his own. He does it for the sake of god because God demands this proof of his faith. He does the same for his own sake to produce the particular proof.

          Generally ethics is related to on ones duty. The duty of Abraham was to do the will of god- scarify the Isaac. It was a temptation for him. What is this temptation? It is something which keeps a person from causing out of duty. But the temptation here is the ethical selfhood (Thou shall not kill). It would keep him from doing the will of God. If the ethics is the final, then for Abraham the ethics is suspended. So he is subjected to a court trail because he has made an attempt to murder. When the ethics is suspended, it will be directly interpreted as the law maker can violet the law. God the one who taught us not to kill and God himself is compelling Abraham to kill his son, Isaac. I have to raise the question whether it is ethical? Does God in the ethical way? Does this mean, the real suspending of ethics?