Kierkegaard: Concluding Unscientific Postscript

Kierkegaard's Concluding Unscientific Postscript is a classic of existential literature. It concludes the first and richest phase of Kierkegaard's pseudonymous authorship and is the text that philosophers look to first when attempting to define Kierkegaard's own philosophy. Familiar Kierkegaardian themes are introduced in the work, including truth as subjectivity, indirect communication, the leap, and the impossibility of forming a philosophical system for human existence. The Postscript sums up the aims of the preceding pseudonymous works and opens the way to the next part of Kierkegaard's increasingly tempestuous life: it can thus be seen as a cornerstone of his philosophical thought. This volume offers the work in a new and accessible translation by Alastair Hannay, together with an introduction that sets the work in its philosophical and historical contexts.

Review: 'Aesthetically, it is a masterpiece: it brings Climacus to life in English as never before; it expertly initiates the reader into the Postscript's riddles and satisfactions. It is, in sum, ideal for the non-specialist reader - and the clear best choice for the undergraduate classroom.' David D. Possen, Yale University

"...a colossal achievement... the most inviting and accessible... I [recommend] this edition highly. Aesthetically, it is a masterpiece: it brings Climacus to life in English as never before; it expertly initiates the reader into the Postscript's riddles and satisfactions. It is, in sum, ideal for the non-specialist reader -- and the clear best choice for the undergraduate classroom." --David D. Possen, Yale University

"....a tremendous achievement to translate the Postscript. In addition to its sheer size, this book is one of the most philosophically demanding and stylistically complex works in Kierkegaard's corpus. We should all be grateful to Hannay for his efforts.... the publication of the new Cambridge edition of the Postscript is truly an event to be celebrated. Hannay is clearly one of our generation's most important translators of Kierkegaard. In bringing out this new translation, he has given us all a fine opportunity to approach Climacus' great work with new eyes." --Soren Kierkegaard Newsletter, Paul Muench, University of Montana

"....Those attracted to Kierkegaard for his dialetical triple axels have long awaited a fresh translation of this marvel of a book.... illuminating and exceptional clear introduction...." --Gordon Marino, St. Olaf College, Christian Century