Research Paper on:
Subjective Truth and Soren Kierkegaard's Philosophy

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
nature of existence and humanitys place in it. While some truths are obvious, i.e. objective truth, some "truth," particularly in regards to religion and ethics is "subject" to the situation  and the perspective of the individual, making it "subjective." This "truth" is particularly evident in the philosophy of Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher and writer. Kierkegaard took the position that  religion is a purely personal experience and his stance illuminates his position on the nature of truth (Frost, 1962). Objective truth is easily recognized. "Two plus two equals  four" is a truth that is clear and remains consistent under all considerations. Once learned, it remains a "reliable piece of lumber in the mental attic, one on which I  can put my hand any time I have need for it" (Barrett, 1958, p. 152). The truth of religion is of a different order. According to Kierkegaard, religion is a  personal "appropriation" of the truth (1954). While a learned scholar may be cognizant of formal theology, able to discourse on all tenets of belief, he can still be a disbeliever  in his heart. On the other hand, an ignorant peasant can know the "truth" of spirituality completely, having incorporated religious "truth" into his soul. This is a fact long recognized  by Eastern religions. A "Master" discerns the attainment of religious enlightenment in his novices according to how a novice behaves, "what kind of person he has come to be,  not from hearing him reason about the Sutras" (Barrett, 1958, p. 153). This kind of "truth" is not the "truth of the intellect but the of the whole man" (Barrett,  1958, p. 153). Therefore, Barrett (1958) concludes that subjective truth is not a truth that one has, but rather truth that one is. From this point of view, religious