Fear and Trembling

A faithful modern-English edition of Søren Kierkegaard’s landmark inquiry into faith, ethics, and the human condition. Written in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio, Fear and Trembling takes the story of Abraham and Isaac as its starting point, asking what it means to have faith that transcends ordinary moral reasoning. Kierkegaard introduces the figure of the “knight of faith” and explores concepts—the teleological suspension of the ethical, the absolute duty to God, and the anguish of the single individual—that have shaped existentialist and philosophical thought ever since. This edition renders Kierkegaard’s layered, poetic prose into clear, present-day English while preserving his rhetorical power and argumentative precision. A short glossary and key passages are included to help today’s reader engage deeply with the text. Part of The Modern Wisdom Library.