If you’d like to study Philosophy and Risk, registrations for the free workshops close on the 7^th (https://safetyrisk.net/is-there-a-philosophy-of-risk-and-safety/).

If you would like to learn the basics of philosophy you can register here: admin@spor.com.au. We have 30 registrations across 12 countries, so it will be lots of fun in learning and sharing. We can squeeze in a few more places if you want to join.

In the workshops we will be exploring an introduction to philosophy including some of the foundational philosophers who inform the work of SPoR. However, if you don’t want to think critically, be challenged about beliefs, are easily offended by being confronted or, want to endorse your own worldview, then this is not a workshop for you.

Amongst some of the philosophers we explore will be Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855). Kierkegaard is described as: ‘a Danish Lutheran theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher’ (Wikipedia), but he was so much more than this.

But a warning, if you don’t like a dialectical-polemical style, then don’t read Ellul, Kierkegaard or even St Paul. If you want everything to be ‘nice’, ‘ordered’, ‘certain’, ‘objective’, ‘safe’ and to your liking, don’t read Kierkegaard. Ellul and Kierkegaard (indeed, St Paul) for example: Jacques Ellul, Interpretive Essays (1981)

Of course, we know that Kierkegaard had to write using pseudonyms because his style was so threatening to many.

Like Ellul, Kierkegaard published an extraordinary number of works. I have many favourites of both. From Kierkegaard one of his best is: Concluding Unscientific Postscript To Philosophical Fragments, A Mimical-Pathetical-Dialectical Compilation, An Existential Contribution by Johannes Climacus. You can get a ‘taste’ of Soren’s style here: https://sorenkierkegaard.org/concluding-unscientific-postscript.html. But if you don’t like Soren’s style, you don’t have to read it.

In these writings, Kierkegaard describes his style as A Mimical-Pathetical-Dialectical Compilation and bears a similar style to that of Ellul (eg. Anarchy and Christianity). The same style is shared by Ricoeur (https://literariness.org/2017/04/06/key-theories-of-paul-ricoeur/ ) who is often called ‘tensive’. If you want everything to be ‘nice’, don’t read Ricoeur either.

Kierkegaard refers to his opponents with colourful and provocative language (eg. Unscientific Postscipt) ‘parroters comical thoughlessness’, ‘the rhetorical stupidities of ecclesiastical speakers’ and so on. No wonder he used a range of pseudonyms. So, if you are afraid of being offended, don’t read Kierkegaard either.

Kierkegaard (like Ellul, Ricoeur, Merleau-Ponty and even St Paul) challenge worldviews and in many ways. They deconstruct myths associated with certainty, objectivism, intellectual arrogance and philosophical naivety. But their meaning and purpose is liberating should you desire to engage with them. They are not afraid to confront or offend and this is no accident or mistake, that is their style. Poor old Soren, apparently, he didn’t know what he was doing.

All of these philosophers use anthropomorphic lyrical writing, archetypical generalisations, intentionally provocative dialectics and confrontation, and so ‘stir the pot’. They are also profoundly Christian, but not the kind of Christian recognised by many. There is no populist comfort in what they write. Indeed, many might declare these anti-Christian. How strange, these philosophers who have the ‘wrong theology’ and the ‘wrong style’ who are not viewed this way by those who engage with them.

In SPoR, we find the learning from these philosophers helpful, practical, positive and constructive, if one can discern their value.

In closing, it was one of my most amazing experiences when travelling to Europe that I was at a random dinner in Leuven, Belgium for a petro-chemical company (who do SPoR) and sat beside a young man and his name tag was ‘Kierkegaard’. No, it couldn’t be. Yes, a great grand-nephew. What an amazing experience to fly half way around the world, to be seated by chance and connected to the great Danish philosopher. The joy of randomness. What wonderful conversations we had that evening.

If you want to make a start and study Kierkegaard you could start here: