Antony Aumann Submitted to the faculty of the University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of

199 Pages·2008·0.75 MB·English

by  Antony Aumann

KIERKEGAARD ON THE NEED FOR INDIRECT COMMUNICATION

Antony Aumann

Submitted to the faculty of the University Graduate School
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree
Doctor of Philosophy
in the Department of Philosophy,
Indiana University
July 2008
Accepted by the Graduate Faculty, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the
requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Doctoral Committee

________________________________________
Paul Vincent Spade, Ph.D. (Chair)

________________________________________
Paul D. Eisenberg, Ph.D.

________________________________________
C. Stephen Evans, Ph.D.

________________________________________
James G. Hart, Ph.D.

________________________________________
Adam Leite, Ph.D.

14 July 2008
ii
© 2008
Antony Aumann
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
iii
For my mother and father,
to whom I owe
more than I can repay.
iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The original idea behind this dissertation came from a seminar on the philosophy of
communication taught by Kelly Clark at Calvin College in the fall of 2000. The impetus
to develop that idea into a dissertation came from Paul Spade’s class on Kierkegaard at
Indiana University in the spring of 2004. Since that time, I have received many kinds of
support from many sources.
Funding for both research and writing has come from Indiana University, the
Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Trust, as well as the Howard and Edna Hong Kierkegaard
Library. The members of my committee, Paul Spade, Paul Eisenberg, Adam Leite, James
Hart, and Stephen Evans, have offered insightful criticism and endless encouragement.
This dissertation owes much to their guidance. The small but vibrant Kierkegaard reading
group at Indiana University has provided a stimulating environment in which to cultivate
my ideas. The scholars at the Hong Kierkegaard Library have helped spur many new
insights during my summer stays there. Thanks to Ed Mooney and Søren Landkildehus
whose helpful comments on some of the chapters led to significant improvements.
Special thanks are due to Stephen Evans who first introduced me to Kierkegaard’s
writings and to Paul Spade who nurtured my interest in them throughout the intervening
years. Finally, thanks to Kari Theurer who always listened patiently as I worked out my
ideas in conversation.
Parts of chapter 5 were delivered at the 2008 Central Division Meeting of the
American Philosophical Association, the 2008 Mid-South Conference, and the
Philosophy Department colloquium at Indiana University. Parts of chapter 4 were
delivered as a guest lecture for Paul Spade’s class on Phenomenology and Existentialism
at Indiana University. A summary of the dissertation was presented at the 5th Annual
International Kierkegaard Conference. Thanks to all those who attended these events and
to those who offered helpful feedback.

v
MOTTO

Before there can be any mention of understanding something of what [an
author] has communicated, one must first understand him in his distinctive
dialectic of communication and in this light understand everything which
one understands.
- Søren Kierkegaard
Journals and Papers, 1:645
vi
Antony Aumann
KIERKEGAARD ON THE NEED FOR INDIRECT COMMUNICATION
This dissertation concerns Kierkegaard’s theory of indirect communication. A central aspect of this theory
is what I call the “indispensability thesis”: there are some projects only indirect communication can
accomplish. The purpose of the dissertation is to disclose and assess the rationale behind the
indispensability thesis.
A pair of questions guides the project. First, to what does ‘indirect communication’ refer? Two
acceptable responses exist: (1) Kierkegaard’s version of Socrates’ midwifery method and (2) Kierkegaard’s
use of artful literary devices. Second, for what end does Kierkegaard use indirect communication? There
are two acceptable responses here as well: (1) helping others become religious and (2) making others aware
of the nature of existence.
These responses are interrelated. First, Kierkegaard’s notion of religion places restrictions on the
means he can use to get readers to become religious. These restrictions ultimately entail that the only viable
form of religious pedagogy is the midwifery method. Second, Kierkegaard engages in the midwifery
method in part by making readers aware of the nature of existence (especially religious existence). But
given the problems plaguing his readers, he thinks a straightforward approach to this project will likely fail.
An approach that used artful literary devices such as deception and humor would be more successful.
Third, Kierkegaard believes that there is one aspect of religious existence (viz. subjectivity) that people can
come to know only first-hand. As such, he cannot directly impart knowledge of subjectivity to his readers.
He argues that this means he must use the midwifery method. And he thinks the most productive way to do
so is to provide readers with the kind of fictional narratives found in his early pseudonymous writings.
Thus artful rhetorical devices play a role here as well.
All of Kierkegaard’s arguments for the indispensability thesis turn on debatable assumptions. But
the arguments concerning artful rhetorical devices have the additional defect of being merely probabilistic
in nature. They lack the strength to support the indispensability thesis even if we grant the relevant
background assumptions. Therefore, to the degree that the indispensability thesis has merit, it lies with the
arguments concerning the midwifery method.

_________________________________ _________________________________
Paul Vincent Spade, Ph.D. (Chair) James G. Hart, Ph.D.

_________________________________
_________________________________
Paul D. Eisenberg, Ph.D.
Adam Leite, Ph.D.

_________________________________
C. Stephen Evans, Ph.D.
vii
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
1. The Purpose of the Dissertation 1
2. Scholarly Contributions 2
3. Chapter Outline 6

CHAPTER 1: METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS 10
1. Kierkegaard’s Rich and Complicated Rhetoric 10
2. The Philosophical Approach to Kierkegaard’s Writings 15
3. Kierkegaard’s Pseudonymity 20
4. Direct Communication about Indirect Communication 25

CHAPTER 2: KIERKEGAARD’S TWO ACCOUNTS OF INDIRECT COMMUNICATION 30
1. Indirect Communication as the Maieutic Method 31
2. Indirect Communication as the use of Artful Rhetorical Devices 41
3. The Relationship between the Two Accounts 52
4. Implications for the Indispensability Thesis 55

CHAPTER 3: INDIRECT COMMUNICATION AND UNCONDITIONAL COMMITMENT 58
1. What it Means to Become Religious: Unconditional Commitment 60
2. The Individuality Corollary 64
3. The Irrationality Corollary 78
4. Conclusion: Bringing Together the Two Corollaries 89

CHAPTER 4: INDIRECT COMMUNICATION AND SELF-DECEPTION 92
1. Kierkegaard’s Main Pedagogical Strategy 92
2. The Problem of Attracting Followers 94
3. The Problem of Self-Deception (The “Monstrous Illusion”) 99
4. Indirect Communication and Self-Deception 104
5. Conclusion Regarding the Indispensability Thesis 107

viii
CHAPTER 5: INDIRECT COMMUNICATION AND THE ATTACK ON THE HEGELIANS 109
1. The Two Sides to Kierkegaard’s Critique of the Speculative Thinkers 110
2. The Speculative Project 114
3. The Existential Payoff of the Speculative Project 117
4. Kierkegaard’s Position 119
5. The Apparent Problem with Kierkegaard’s Position 125
6. Guidance for Solving the Problem 127
7. The Allison and Conant Solution 128
8. An Alternative Solution to the Problem 132
9. Return to the Indispensability Thesis 135

CHAPTER 6: INDIRECT COMMUNICATION AND “LIKE IS ONLY KNOWN BY LIKE” 139
1. The Existence of Problematic Content 140
2. The Justification of the “Like is Only Known by Like” Thesis 144
3. Clarification of the Problems for Communication 155
4. The Need for Indirect Communication 156
5. The Importance of the Early Pseudonymous Literature 167

CONCLUSION 169

WORKS CITED 173

CURRICULUM VITAE
ix
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

In accordance with the standard set by the editorial board of the International
Kierkegaard Commentary Series, I use the following abbreviations when referring to the
English translations of Kierkegaard’s writings. The complete citation information for
these translations can be found in the Works Cited section at the end of the dissertation.

AN “Armed Neutrality”
BA The Book on Adler
CA The Concept of Anxiety
CD Christian Discourses
CUP Concluding Unscientific Postscript to “Philosophical Fragments”
EO Either/Or
EUD Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses
FSE For Self-Examination
FT Fear and Trembling
JFY Judge For Yourself!
JP Søren Kierkegaard’s Journals and Papers
OMWA On My Work as an Author
PC Practice in Christianity
PF Philosophical Fragments
PV “The Point of View for My Work as an Author”
SLW Stages on Life’s Way
SUD Sickness Unto Death
TA Two Ages
TDIO Three Discourses on Imagined Occasions
TM “The Moment” and Late Writings
TSI “The Single Individual”
UDVS Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits
WA Without Authority
WL Works of Love
x