Kierkegaard

Abraham’s Faith: Both the Aesthetic and the Ethical in Fear and Trembling

“…Hannay concludes that, "The word 'absurd' here means not 'logically impossible' but something like 'humanly impossible'" [12] (Hannay 1993, 74). Thus, Faith is then the young man's accepting that it is possible nevertheless, but without altering or in any way qualifying the position he has arrived at in resignation, namely that it is not humanly possible.…”

“…And it is not just allowing the possibility, it is the confident expectation that what is humanly impossible is nevertheless in store. [12] (Hannay 1993, 74) Humanly speaking, it is irrational to believe that killing and keeping the son are possibilities that can both be actualized. Faith moves beyond human possibility in its affirmation that for and through God, all things are possible.…”

“…Faith moves beyond human possibility in its affirmation that for and through God, all things are possible. As Hannay points out, however, faith is not simply a matter of affirming the existence of God [12] (Hannay 1993, 74-75). Rather, on Hannay's reading, Abraham's faith is his belief "that, in the end, he will not be deprived of Isaac even if he carries out God's command to kill him" [12] (Hannay 1993, 75).…”

“…As Hannay points out, however, faith is not simply a matter of affirming the existence of God [12] (Hannay 1993, 74-75). Rather, on Hannay's reading, Abraham's faith is his belief "that, in the end, he will not be deprived of Isaac even if he carries out God's command to kill him" [12] (Hannay 1993, 75). Although Hannay presents faith in terms of rationality and belief, he seems to understand Abraham's faith, as presented by Johannes de Silentio, to be something more like reliance upon God and God's ability to actualize even those things that are humanly impossible 14 [13].…”

“…Abraham's act, because he believed it justified, implies some end to which the ethical life is made subservient. [12] (Hannay 1993, 73; emphasis added) What is suspicious in this passage is Hannay's claim that Abraham believed his intended act-the murder of Isaac-to be justified 16 [14]. It is difficult to conceive of an extraor non-rational sort of justification; if one grounds one's acts in something external to reason (emotion, for example), then one's acts are simply unjustified, however understandable or forgivable they may be.…”