This analysis will examine Kierkegaard's despair is the illness that leads to death, and briefly, the stages of the path of life, to explore the conceptions of the self and despair . Kierkegaard often uses pseudonyms in his texts to explore a particular point of view or to better communicate with his readership. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Despair is the Disease That Leads to Death is written using the pseudonym Anti-Climacus, which refers to the medieval monk Johannes Climacus who wrote Scale Paradisi. Kierkegaard does not agree with Johannes' idea that one can ascend to heaven through one's own efforts, which is why this pseudonym is Anti-Climacus. Kierkegaard and Anti-Climacus share similar views, however, Anti-Climacus is a more perfected version of Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard was aware that he did not live up to the Christian ideal, so it was necessary to create a perfect Christian pseudonym to bring his ideas to life. Steps on the Path of Life is written under the pseudonym of the man who comes across three letters in his chest of drawers. Ermita is used to explore three different stages of life. The most relevant is Judge William, who represents the ethical point of view and was created so that Kierkegaard could better interact with his readership. It is important to distinguish Kierkegaard from his pseudonyms because, although he creates them, they do not always share his beliefs. In Anti-Climacus' Despair is a Deadly Disease, "self" is defined as "a relationship that relates to itself...". A relation of ideas is an argument of individual opposites. In the case of human beings, this refers to the finite and the infinite. So, the self is this relationship which is then linked to the self. Anti-Climacus then clarifies that human beings are not born with a self, even though all humans have the potential to become a self. The human being is the synthesis of the finite and the infinite, but something is missing. There is an implication that it is not enough to simply possess these relata, one must also actively connect these relata to become a self. Considering that the human being is stuck between two orders, the finite and the infinite, he struggles between necessity and possibility. This is part of what causes despair. Some aspects of human life, like mortality, are insurmountable. Such limitations must be recognized and accepted in order to live authentically. Conversely, certain aspects of human beings are open to change. The self is not just the synthesis of these two halves of existence, but the continual realization of new syntheses throughout life, evident in every choice one makes. The Anti-Climacus' use of the word "relationship" to define the self implies a certain degree of interdependence in individuality. The authentic self not only relates to itself and others, but must relate to itself and others to be a self. Anti-Climacus states that the formula that describes the self that does not despair is: “In relating to itself and willing to be itself, the self rests transparently in the power that established it. » What is meant by this is that the self is not only linked to itself and others, it is also linked to the absolute, or to God. The first sentence of Despair is the Illness that Leads to Death is: “a human being is spirit,” which clearly shows the obligatory connection between God and human choice. The relationship between the self and God is the ultimate relationship and the foundation of the self's being. The self only has the capacity to transform itself thanks to God. The knowledge that GodPossibility is what helps the individual overcome despair and allows for self-transformation. The goal of individuality is to become a certain type of self, guided by the eternal. One form of despair that Kierkegaard describes through various works is despair resulting from an inauthentic faith in God. He believes that practicing Christianity, the corrupted version of Christianity, will lead to despair. Authentic Christianity requires the individual to strive toward self-transformation and ego death, because one is not born a Christian. An authentic Christian must be faithful to the radical model of Christ, who stands up for what he truly believes in and dies with dignity. On the other hand, one who adheres to Christianity finds comfort in institution, conformity and power. Kierkegaard argues that this individual betrays Christ's challenge to become an authentic self by failing to stand out from the crowd and stand up for what he truly believes. Failure to accept Christ's challenge is a way for individuals to find themselves in despair. Anti-Climacus defines other forms of despair by creating an analogy between doctor and patient. He asserts that just as a doctor would say that there is no such thing as a perfectly healthy human being, everyone can see that there is no human being who does not experience some degree of despair. Anti-Climacus states that despair is the wrong relationship in self-relation, meaning that an individual fails to relate to either the finite or the infinite. It is precisely because human beings have this synthesis that they despair. The first form of Anti-Climacus detail despair is the absent or lost self. This individual is in a state of unconscious despair and uses various coping mechanisms to cover it up, such as distracting themselves. However, when they experience a significant loss, these coping mechanisms fail. In these cases, the individual will blame their despair on the external situation, without realizing that they are actually despairing about themselves. The second form of despair is the despair of weakness. This individual is incapable of responding to the call to become the self that existence calls him to assume. Anti-Climacus states that this individual is in conscious despair, but has no willpower. The third form of despair is the despair of defiance. This individual is trying to become a self on their own terms and does not realize that the foundation of their being is the absolute. By defying the call, this individual usurps God's position and cannot see that the self is not something that belongs exclusively to him, because individuality implies interdependence. Since the human condition produces despair and anxiety, the tendency is to “escape” from these states. The first way individuals attempt to escape is what Anti-Climacus calls the despair of infinitude. This individual has an idealistic personality and cannot see the limits of his existence. Since they are constantly beholden to their imagination, they constantly dream of what they can do without accomplishing much. Conversely, there is the despair of finitude, which results from the idea that there is no greater purpose in life. This individual focuses on material existence and is content with what is transmitted to him by society. Anti-Climacus's problems with the conventional view of despair are that it assumes that every person knows whether they are hopeless or not, that it considers despair to be a rare condition, and that it does not understand what is “spirit”, “disease” or “health”. 'really are. An individual is considered healthy by the public if he or she declares that he or she is not sick. However, doctors have a different view of illness because they have a fully developed concept of what "healthy" is.". Doctors know that there is a possibility of imaginary illness, and they generally do not take at face value an individual's statements regarding their state of health. People who claim to be desperate may not actually be, and vice versa. Furthermore, common opinion forgets that despair is different from other illnesses because it is an illness of the mind. When a doctor has made sure that a person is well and that person subsequently becomes ill, the doctor can then say that that person was once healthy but is now ill. This is not the case with despair. Once it appears that an individual is in despair, it is clear that the individual was in despair all along. Despair is not temporary like a rash or a cold; despair is a “qualification of the spirit”, which is eternal, therefore despair is eternal. The symptoms of despair present differently from other illnesses because they can oppose each other. For example, not being hopeless can mean being hopeless, however, never feeling hopelessness is also being hopeless (Marino 68). The first step to “curing” despair is to recognize that you are desperate. Healing despair also requires that human beings recognize their existence as both finite and infinite. Many people live without recognizing their infinite potential, which is why they supposedly feel safe. Some individuals live only in the realm of infinite potential and cannot recognize their finiteness. Although recognizing both halves of this synthesis is not an easy task, one cannot become an authentic self without it (Marino 84-87). Despair is both our worst misfortune and our saving grace. This signals that something is wrong and yet helps individuals realize their authentic selves. The wasted life is one where the individual never realizes his or her infinite potential because he or she is so absorbed in earthly life. An even greater loss is that of the individual who never feels that there is a God who previously existed. So another solution to despair is faith. Although Anti-Climacus specifically refers to the Christian faith, it is possible to conceive of faith as a kind of trust in this context. With this confidence in the foundations of one's being and in the "calling", the individual can become the self they are meant to be without despairing in the process. However, it is important to keep in mind that the individual must remain aware of their relationship and dependence on God for this transformation. In Stages on Life's Way, Justice Williams posits that the aesthetic individual is more prone to despair because they seek continuous pleasure, however, pleasure has limits like pain. Anti-Climacus confirms this point of view, asserting that "this self... would have been in seventh heaven (a state, moreover, in another sense, is just as hopeless." Moreover, the aesthetic individual is akin to a hedonist; he lives his life according to their impulses and their emotions. Therefore, not only are they at the mercy of their whims, but they also have a very limited vision of their existence. risks succumbing to the despair of finitude. Anti-Climacus points out that despair can thrive in happiness. Even the person who does not seem desperate is desperate, they may simply ignore this fact, since the general public believes that people are. healthy when they claim to be. This individual's despair may never be addressed and they may never live a fully authentic life. Recognition that this worldview leads to a vicious cycle, that leads to despair, is this..