『啓蒙の弁証法』から読むキルケゴール

【反知性主義か、啓蒙の自己省察か】

抄録

  This paper attempts to examine S. A. Kierkegaard’s works from the perspective of the Dialectic of Enlightenment, written by Th. W. Adorno and M. Horkheimer. In social philosophy, Kierkegaard has often been considered an anti-modernist or a post-modernist, since he distances himself from the outside world as well as the concept of social modernization, and hence insists on the truthfulness of individual inwardness. However, beginning with the critical theorist’s conception of enlightenment, this study reinterprets Kierkegaard’s thought as a social philosophy that assumes an ambivalent attitude toward modern enlightenment and thus leads to its immanent critique.

  First, this paper addresses the Dialectic of Enlightenment to confirm that Adorno and Horkheimer understand modern enlightenment as a historical process of “disenchantment” through which irrational aspects must forcibly be integrated into the rational framework. Second, it clarifies that using the concept of “leveling,” Kierkegaard problematizes excessive rationalization in the sense of standardization and indicates his tendency to promote anti-intellectualism. Finally, it examines how Kierkegaard’s criticism of the myth of reason aims to not only merely promote anti-intellectualism but also correct the establishment to defend individuals’ qualitative experiences. Therefore, Kierkegaard’s thought reveals a potential for the “disenchantment of the disenchanted world,” which requires self-reflection of enlightenment as an essential part of the modern enlightenment process.