Many philosophers who initially read Kierkegaard,
especially Johannes de Silentio's Fear and Trembling,
often come to the conclusion that Kierkegaard supports
a divine command law of ethics. The divine command
theory is a metaethical theory which claims moral
values are whatever is commanded by a god or gods.
However, Kierkegaard (through his pseudonym
Johannes de Silentio) is not arguing that morality is
created by God; instead, he would argue that a divine
command from God transcends ethics. This distinction
means that God does not necessarily create human
morality: it is up to us as individuals to create our own
morals and values. But any religious person must be
prepared for the event of a divine command from God
that would take precedence over all moral and rational
obligations. Kierkegaard called this event the
teleological suspension of the ethical. Abraham, the knight of faith, chose to obey God unconditionally, and was
rewarded with his son, his faith, and the title of Father of Faith. Abraham transcended ethics and leaped into faith.
But there is no valid logical argument one can make to claim that morality ought to be or can be suspended in any
given circumstance, or ever. Thus, Silentio believes ethics and faith are separate stages of consciousness. The choice
to obey God unconditionally is a true existential 'either/or' decision faced by the individual. Either one chooses to
live in faith (the religious stage) or to live ethically (the ethical stage).
In Either/Or, Kierkegaard insists that the single individual has ethical responsibility of his life. However, everyone
wants to enjoy themselves and ethics gets in the way of a person's enjoyment of life if taken to extremes. This results
in a battle between those who want to live for pleasure and those who demand an ethical existence. But Kierkegaard
always points toward the religious goal, an "eternal happiness", or the salvation of the soul as the highest good. He
says, be whatever you want, but remember that your soul belongs to God, not to the world.
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