Kierkegaard and Psychology as the Science of the “Multifarious Life”

• DOI: 10.1007/s12124-013-9235-1
• Publication Date: 2013-04-21T20:23:59Z
• Authors: Sven Hroar Klempe
• Keywords: Philosophy; Mental Processes; Logic; Science; Culture; 05 social sciences; Metaphysics; Humans; Psychology; History, 19th Century; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the actuality of some considerations around psychology made by the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855). According to him psychology is about the "multifarious" life, which is a term that pinpoints the challenges psychology still have when it comes to including changes and genetic perspectives on its understanding of actual living. Yet Kierkegaard discusses psychology in relationship to metaphysics, which is an almost forgotten perspective. His understanding opens up for narrowing the definition of psychology down to the science of subjectivity, which at the same time elevates psychology to being the only science that focuses on the actual human life. Yet Kierkegaard's most important contribution to psychology is to maintain a radical distinction between subjectivity and objectivity, and in this respect the psychology of today is challenged.