The present study embarks on the concept of suffering and its meaning patterns from
the point of view of the existentialist philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard. It is inspired by
both the existentialist philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard and the inexorability of suffering
world-wide and the inescapability of it in every culture. Danish philosopher Søren
Kierkegaard is known as the father of existentialism. The whole existentialist thinking
has its roots in the philosophy and the mystic-religious teachings of Kierkegaard.
According to Kierkegaard, suffering is the highest subjective truth. He has discussed the
concept of suffering in the context of religiosity.
To understand Kierkegaard's treatment of suffering, we must understand that
Kierkegaard always discusses it from the point of view of various stages of life or life
orientations. There are three basic stages, namely, aesthetic, ethical and religious. Among
these three stages, he considers the religious mode of existence as the highest and
existentially creative. This stage is the stage of highest subjectivity in which a subjective
individual can understand the highest subjective truth that is suffering. This subjectivity
is understood and explained as authenticity. The authenticity of the subject is existential
which is concerned with the inward feeling of the individual. For Kierkegaard, only an
authentic being can enjoy freedom. Human beings are absolutely free in making
decisions, choices and doing actions. Since, man is absolutely free to choose and
therefore she/he is responsible for what she/he chooses; and as a result of her/his choice,
she/he is also responsible for own suffering.
