Observations placeholder
Kierkegaard, Soren - Fear and Trembling - Every generation begins again from the beginning
Identifier
021991
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Kierkegaard - Fear and Trembling (London and New York: Oxford University Press, 1939)
One generation can learn much from another, but that which is purely human no generation can learn from the preceding generation. In this respect every generation begins again from the beginning, possessing no other tasks but those of preceding generations and going no further, unless the preceding generation has betrayed itself and deceived itself.
No generation has learned how to love from another, no generation begins at any other point than the beginning, and no subsequent generation has a shorter task than the generation which preceded it.