Books by Ryan S Kemp
Either/Or is Kierkegaard’s first major work and arguably his most virtuosic. It introduces many o... more Either/Or is Kierkegaard’s first major work and arguably his most virtuosic. It introduces many of the most important philosophical themes that define the rest of his authorship and showcases – through its several pseudonyms and genres – Kierkegaard’s prodigious literary scope. In this Critical Guide, a diverse group of scholars strikes new ground in our understanding of both this work and Kierkegaard’s authorship as a whole. Their essays highlight the text’s philosophical range, with substantial discussions of issues in aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, metaphysics, phenomenology, and philosophy of religion. The volume will be essential reading for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of Either/Or and Kierkegaard’s work more generally.
Bloomsbury Academic, 2023
In her five novels and many essays, Marilynne Robinson develops a distinctive Christian vision an... more In her five novels and many essays, Marilynne Robinson develops a distinctive Christian vision animated by a powerfully affirmative and sacramental attitude toward the physical world and everyday human life.
An in-depth philosophical exploration of her work – from Gilead to her extensive non-fiction writing – Marilynne Robinson's Worldly Gospel reads the author's theology as articulating a compelling response to the claim that Christianity is an otherworldly religion whose adherents seek through it to escape the misfortunes of this life. Ryan Kemp and Jordan Rodgers argue that Robinson's work challenges the modern atheistic tradition dating back to Friedrich Nietzsche to present a unique form of contemporary faith that seeks to affirm the world rather than deny its claims.
In his late work Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason, Immanuel Kant struggles to answer... more In his late work Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason, Immanuel Kant struggles to answer a straightforward, yet surprisingly difficult, question: how is radical conversion -- a complete reorientation of a person's most deeply held values -- possible? In this book, Ryan S. Kemp and Christopher Iacovetti examine how this question gets taken up by Kant's philosophical heirs: Schelling, Fichte, Hegel and Kierkegaard. More than simply developing a novel account of each thinker's position, Kemp and Iacovetti trace how each philosopher formulates his theory in response to tensions in preceding views, culminating in Kierkegaard's claim that radical conversion lies outside a person's control. Kemp and Iacovetti close by examining some of the moral-psychological implications of Kierkegaard's account, particularly the question of how someone might responsibly relate to values that have, by their own admission, been acquired in contingent and accidental fashion.
Reviews by Mark Alznauer (Review of Metaphysics), G. Anthony Bruno (Kantian Review), Steven Hoelt... more Reviews by Mark Alznauer (Review of Metaphysics), G. Anthony Bruno (Kantian Review), Steven Hoeltzel (Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews), and Dan Watts (British Journal for the History of Philosophy)
Essays for Humans by Ryan S Kemp
The Hedgehog Review, 2022
A critical review of Justin E. H. Smith's book, The Internet is Not What You Think It Is.
The Hedgehog Review, 2023
Some reflections on beauty's role in appreciating the goodness of life (in critical conversation ... more Some reflections on beauty's role in appreciating the goodness of life (in critical conversation with Nick Riggle's "This Beauty: A Philosophy of Being Alive" (2022).)
Zeal: A Journal for the Liberal Arts, 2023
Reflection on what it might look like to teach philosophy (or anything really) with love as one's... more Reflection on what it might look like to teach philosophy (or anything really) with love as one's end.
Zeal: A Journal for the Liberal Arts, 2022
An existentialist critique of David Benatar's anti-natalism.
The Daily Ant
Invited contribution to the blog The Daily Ant for their recurring segment “Philosophy Phridays.”... more Invited contribution to the blog The Daily Ant for their recurring segment “Philosophy Phridays.” See the published version at:
dailyant.com/2017/08/25/philosophy-phriday-the-existential-upshot-of-crazy-ants/
Taking Kierkegaard Personally: First Person Responses , 2020
This essay investigates why Kierkegaard hates professors (particularly of the assistant variety) ... more This essay investigates why Kierkegaard hates professors (particularly of the assistant variety) and asks what might be done to address his worries. I look especially at the issues of job security (particularly the chasing of it) and the academy's distaste for ambiguity. As I consider these topics I interweave gratuitous personal reflections on my own assistant professor-ish experience.
Kierkegaard by Ryan S Kemp
Kierkegaard Studies Yearbook
In a now classic paper, Karen Carr argues that Kierkegaard is a religious “anti-rationalist”: He ... more In a now classic paper, Karen Carr argues that Kierkegaard is a religious “anti-rationalist”: He holds that reason and religious truth exist in necessary tension with one another. Carr maintains that this antagonism is not a matter of the logical incoherence of Christianity, but rather the fact that genuine submission to Christ precludes approaching him through demonstration. In this essay, we argue that while Kierkegaard is in fact an anti-rationalist, the literature has failed to appreciate the full strength of his position. It is not just that reason and obedience are in tension; rather, Kierkegaard holds the stronger view that reason is actively offended by Christianity’s primary claims. Not only is reason incapable of generating any positive evidence for the truth of Christianity, more radically, it provides evidence against it. In order to make this case, we offer a close reading of Practice in Christianity, developing a typology of Kierkegaard’s account of Christ’s “offense.” Finally, having motivated Kierkegaard’s strong anti-rationalism, we consider why, on his account, anyone would want to be a Christian.
Kant and the Possibility of Progress (U. of Penn. Press, eds. Sam Stoner and Paul Wilford)
In this chapter I argue that Kierkegaard offers a unique account of the highest good that combine... more In this chapter I argue that Kierkegaard offers a unique account of the highest good that combines elements from Kant's and Hegel's respective formulations. In short, Kierkegaard thinks that faith in a personal and loving God allows a person to experience " happiness " in the present because only it makes possible deep and stable gratitude for one's life.
The Review of Metaphysics, 2021
Many people seem to think that if a direct connection can be made between a person’s lifestyle an... more Many people seem to think that if a direct connection can be made between a person’s lifestyle and severe depression, then that person has good, perhaps even sufficient, reason to make a radical life change. This very thought has prevailed amongst readers of Kierkegaard’s Either/Or who take it for granted that the aesthetic pseudonym of part one (“A”) announces the failure of his life view precisely in his confession of severe melancholy. This essay challenges this reasoning by showing how, according to Kierkegaard, reflective characters like A actually use their depression to further entrench themselves within aestheticism. They use moods like depression to color their immediate environment, giving rise to an ever-increasing supply of interesting experiences.
The Kierkegaardian Mind (Routledge; eds Buben, Helms, and Stokes), 2018
I argue that (i) an adequate interpretation of Fear and Trembling’s notion of a ‘teleological sus... more I argue that (i) an adequate interpretation of Fear and Trembling’s notion of a ‘teleological suspension of the ethical’ must characterize it as a move that Hegel cannot endorse and (ii) a recent and influential interpretation fails to do this. It fails because it misunderstands the scope of ‘Hegelian ethics’. While the latter is instantiated in concrete historical communities, not all historical communities are ‘ethical’ in the relevant sense. Even Hegel thinks that some people (so-called ‘world historical agents’) can justifiably transgress local ethical norms. This makes the world historical agent an important test case. If Abraham’s suspension of the ethical is not distinct from Napoleon’s, then Hegel can do precisely what the author of Fear and Trembling so vehemently denies: he can account for Abraham.
Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie, 2018
Kierkegaard Studies Yearbook
In this essay, I attempt to carve out interpretive space for a so-called “straightforward” readin... more In this essay, I attempt to carve out interpretive space for a so-called “straightforward” reading of Fear and Trembling. Toward this end, I argue that recent attempts to challenge the reliability of Johannes de Silentio and/or emphasize the presence of a “hidden message” succeed, in large part, by: (1) misconstruing the goals and method of Kierkegaard’s indirect communication and (2) relying too heavily on elements of the text that lend only circumstantial support to their interpretation. Given this, interpreters should be considerably more open to the possibility that Kierkegaard means what Fear and Trembling explicitly says.
Kierkegaard's Pseudonyms: Volume 17, Kierkegaard Research: Sources, Reception and Resources series
Kierkegaard's Pseudonyms, 2015
Uploads
Books by Ryan S Kemp
An in-depth philosophical exploration of her work – from Gilead to her extensive non-fiction writing – Marilynne Robinson's Worldly Gospel reads the author's theology as articulating a compelling response to the claim that Christianity is an otherworldly religion whose adherents seek through it to escape the misfortunes of this life. Ryan Kemp and Jordan Rodgers argue that Robinson's work challenges the modern atheistic tradition dating back to Friedrich Nietzsche to present a unique form of contemporary faith that seeks to affirm the world rather than deny its claims.
Essays for Humans by Ryan S Kemp
https://www.3-16am.co.uk/articles/life-after-death?c=finding-meaning-edited-by-steven-delay
dailyant.com/2017/08/25/philosophy-phriday-the-existential-upshot-of-crazy-ants/
https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/literature/is-my-neighbor-dispensable
Kierkegaard by Ryan S Kemp
An in-depth philosophical exploration of her work – from Gilead to her extensive non-fiction writing – Marilynne Robinson's Worldly Gospel reads the author's theology as articulating a compelling response to the claim that Christianity is an otherworldly religion whose adherents seek through it to escape the misfortunes of this life. Ryan Kemp and Jordan Rodgers argue that Robinson's work challenges the modern atheistic tradition dating back to Friedrich Nietzsche to present a unique form of contemporary faith that seeks to affirm the world rather than deny its claims.
https://www.3-16am.co.uk/articles/life-after-death?c=finding-meaning-edited-by-steven-delay
dailyant.com/2017/08/25/philosophy-phriday-the-existential-upshot-of-crazy-ants/
https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/literature/is-my-neighbor-dispensable