The Ethical Existence of Kierkegaard

     Last week in my Rhetoric of Literature class, we were discussing chapter Nine of the Rhetoric and Human  Consciousness titled  "The Existential Revolt against Modernism." In this chapter I learned about the term existentialism. I discovered that the term meant the study of existence, the philosophy of existence. I also learned about one of the most influential  existentialist thinkers. His name was Soren Kierkegaard. After reading about the thinker and writer, I was a bit confused by his philosophy on existence, and where they stood on rhetoric. When I kept going over the sections of the chapter, I began to slowly understand little by little of what this thinker was saying.
     The philosopher Kierkegaard contributed many important points to rhetoric and existentialism. As the text mentions, " Kierkegaard endorsed the One ( primordial unity) over the dialectical duality of Hegel's logic" (Smith, 243). He wanted the human consciousness to be able to transcend the meaning of the One. There by either opposing or building on Kant and Hegel's studies of dialect and rhetoric.
     Another important point Kierkegaard made to to existentialism was his argument that's stated in the text, "Like Socrates, Kierkegaard argued that "one must know oneself before knowing anything else" (Smith, 243). The philosopher determined the idea of transcendence with oneself, I think, was to discover who we all are before we can understand and help the world around us. That is a wise thought to have when learning about the world ground you.
     Kierkegaard made another important point when he wrote in Concluding Unscientific Post-script that also appears in the American Earth text saying, " he claimed that it is not what a person decides but how one decides, because how a person decides defines himself" (Smith, 244). I will absolutely agree with Kierkegaard's approach to ethics. To me, how you do something is more important than something getting done. People can do questionable, illegal activities to ensure that a greater good is fulfilled, but the same questionable idea of 'the ends justify the means ' is what begins and escalates wars all over the world to minor arguments that lead to deadly outcomes. There is a right way, a wrong way, and a smart way to handle a situation. For me personally, I definitely wouldn't do things the wrong way. Even if I do succeed with whatever I do, I would still have to live with the circumstances of how I got to the place that I came to. That's what Kierkegaard is saying. He is trying to explain that the means justify the ends. The idea is a mart and honorable way to exist in this world.
    In conclusion, I admire the existential philosopher Kierkegaard for his approach to "The One" consciousness, and a person's ethos. That can be how we determine who we are inside.