Søren Kierkegaard was considered to
be the first existentialist philosopher. According to him, there
are three distinct stages of life: the aesthetic, the ethical, and
the religious.
Aesthetic
life-view: The main idea of this life view is described
below:
- It is
characterized by subjectivism, hedonism, and nihilism.
- It seeks personal pleasure, but
lacks any integrating narrative or ultimate meaning.
- It can be divided into immediate
and reflective forms, as exemplified in the characters of Don Juan
and Faust, respectively.
Ethical life-view:
The main idea of this life view is described
below:
- It finds its value in social
morality.
- Institutions such as the State and
the Church provide a context which enables moral striving and
personal development.
- Participation in vocational,
familial, and marital relationships, and the like, and satisfying
the duties attendant to each, constitute life’s meaning.
Religious
life-view: The main idea of this life view is described
below:
- It relativizes both subjective and
cultural values
- A relationship to God is the
ultimate ground of moral duty and existential purpose.
- Within this life-view we can
distinguish between the natural religiousness of ancient Greek
paganism, and the paradoxical religiousness of the Christian
faith.