Soren Kierkegaard's Is there a Teleological Suspension of the Ethical? Fear & Tremble

1. S∅REN KIERKEGAARD
Teleological Suspension
of the Ethical
PHILOSOPHY CLASS @2019

2. PHILOSOPHY
CORE CONCEPT
TERMINOLOGIES
 TELEOLOGICAL - relating to or involving the
explanation of phenomena in terms of the purpose
they serve rather than of the cause by which they
arise.
 ETHICAL - relating to moral principles or the branch
of knowledge dealing with these.
 UNIVERSAL- refers to that which is true for "all
similarly situated individuals.“ It is the quality
ascribed to an entity whose existence is consistent
throughout the universe, whose being is
independent of and unconstrained by the events
and conditions that compose the universe, such as
entropy and physical locality.
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3. Teleological came from the Greek word “TELOS”
which means an end, a goal or a purpose.
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4. 4
“The ethical is the universal. It means that it doesn’t just apply to
everyone right now; it applies at all times. If something truly is an
ethical norm, we think that it applies to everybody at least those
who are in circumstances at all times, in the future, past or present.
It resets imminent in itself.”
- S. Kierkegaard

5. “WHY DO WE DO ART?
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WHY SHOULD WE TAKE OUR MEDICINE?
WHY SHOULD WE TAKE THIS CLASS?

6. ‘TELOS’ means….
 The ethical has its ‘telos’ within itself.
 The single individual sense psychically
qualified an immediacy, is the individual
who has ‘telos’, purposes, goal, and
meaning in the universal.
 The individual has to align himself with
the moral demands of the ethical.
 The ethical is of the same nature as a
persons’ eternal salvation.
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7. KEY QUESTIONS:
Is the ethical the highest divine salvation?
 If so, it cannot be teleologically suspended.
 If not, it can be teleologically suspended.

8. STORY OF ABRAHAM
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“ Take, please, your son, your only son whom you so love, Isaac,
and travel to the land of Moriah and offer him up there as a
burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will designate to
you.” – Genesis 22:2

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10. What Abraham’s story shows us?
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What faith shows us?
What thinking about other people in this
similar situation is that if there is a
teleological suspension of the ethical?

11.  Abraham’s story does contain a
teleological suspension of ethical.
 Abraham transgresses the ethical
in favor of higher telos.
 The individual is placed in absolute
relation to the absolute.
STORY OF ABRAHAM
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12. Abraham
& Anxiety
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 Abraham is the center figure in
fear and trembling.
 If we are to understand
Abraham’s story, we must
WORK.
 What gets omitted:
ANXIETY, DISTRESS, PARADOX

13. SO WHY
ANXIETY?
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14. SHOULD ISAAC BE
AN OBJECT OF
SACRIFICE?
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15. Mary’s story
 A young woman who is inhabiting a
society.
 Mary bears the son of God, Jesus Christ.
 She bears a child out of wedlock.
 She married Joseph.
 Mary’s story can be understood like
Abraham.
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16. “In our understanding about Abraham &
Mary’s story, we’re opening ourselves to
a possibility of getting a lot more out of
the story & we can relate it to our own
lives. Where we may be encountering
the anxiety, distress & the paradox.
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17. THANK YOU 
Hope you learned a lot!
Submitted by: Leandro Locsin Group
 Shayne Chinnyreth G. Galo
 Beatriz Arden E. De Leon
 Jereza Riana S. Guanzon
 Leah Rose C. Lameza
 Julienne Marie C. Libang
 Chesca Tresvalles
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Submitted to: PhD Alejandro Tenorio