''Three Upbuilding Discourses'' is a book by Danish philosopher

Søren Kierkegaard Søren Aabye Kierkegaard ( , ; ; 5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a Danes, Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical tex ...

that was published in 1843. In this work, Kierkegaard continues his exploration of the distinction between externalities and inwardness, shifting the focus from the inwardness of faith to that of love.

Structure

The Three Discourses are: *"Love Will Hide a Multitude of Sins" *"Love Will Hide a Multitude of Sins" *"Strengthening in the Inner Being"

"Love Will Hide a Multitude of Sins"

Kierkegaard's believes that love never becomes something else because of external circumstances. He discusses “how love hides a multitude of sins”.

"Love Will Hide a Multitude of Sins"

Kierkegaard says love is no dream or mood or the kind of self-love that only thinks of love in relation to itself. Kierkegaard uses the

Socratic method The Socratic method (also known as the method of Elenchus or Socratic debate) is a form of argumentative dialogue between individuals based on asking and answering questions. Socratic dialogues feature in many of the works of the ancient Greek ...

to question himself in relation to love and advises everyone to do the same. Kierkegaard continued his discourse on love in his 1847 book, ''Works of Love''.

"Strengthening in the Inner Being"

Kierkegaard discusses the “ main concern of life” in this discourse. He begins with

Paul the Apostle Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Apostles in the New Testament, Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the Ministry of Jesus, teachings of Jesus in the Christianity in the 1st century, first ...

in Rome as a prisoner. Hope in a Prison of Despair

Kierkegaard asks three questions: *Can prosperity serve for strengthening the inner being? *Can fortune or misfortune serve for strengthening the inner being? *Can adversity serve for strengthening the inner being?

Criticism

An author 90 years later related the Discourses to Kierkegaard's other works.

Since the pseudonymous works are in the form of “indirect communication,” they stand in need of interpretation, and the Discourses, which always were in the form of “direct communication,” afford in some instances (especially in the case of ''Repetition'', ''Fear and Trembling'', and the ''Stages'') a very precious and specific illumination of S.K.’s meaning, not merely a proof of his religious intent in general.

Influence and reception

Kierkegaard sold 139 copies of the book. ''Three Upbuilding Discourses'' was not translated into English until 1946 when David F. Swenson translated and published all the discourses in four volumes. Howard V. Hong then translated and published them in 1990 into one volume. In 1852 these discourses were called ''Instructive Tales'' by William Howitt.The literature and romance of northern Europe: constituting a complete history of the literature of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland, with copious specimens of the most celebrated histories, romances (1852)p. 239-240

References

Sources

''Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses''
by Søren Kierkegaard], Princeton University Press. Hong, 1990 *Fear and Trembling/Repetition; Copyright 1843 Søren Kierkegaard – Kierkegaard's Writings; 6 – copyright 1983 – Howard V. Hong * Edifying Discourses, by Søren Kierkegaard, Vol. I, Translated from the Danish by David F. Swenson and Lillian Marvin Swenson, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1943 * ''Kierkegaard's Writings, III, Part I: Either/Or. Part I''. Translated by Howard and Edna Hong. Princeton, 1988, (Hong) * Walter Lowrie, ''A Short Life of Kierkegaard'' Princeton University Press 1942, 1970

External links

*
''Love Will Cover a Multitude of Sins''
– David F. Swenson translation * William Howitt, {{Authority control Books by Søren Kierkegaard 1843 books