Wilderness cries out Unfounded praise

Author: [Russian] Chestov
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: This volume includes two parts: "Wild Cry (Kierkegaard and Existential Philosophy)" and "Hymn of the Groundless." In "Wild Cry," Chestov consistently takes Kierkegaard's cry of despair—his self-sinking into the abyss of despair—as a guide for his own reflections, or perhaps as a backdrop. Chestov always compares Kierkegaard's philosophical thinking to a "wild cry," precisely because he recognizes a realm of thought that deviates from the orthodox path of philosophy. They stand bare in the wilderness, wandering and hesitating, becoming beggars of thought. Despair is their crutch. "Hymn of the Groundless" is Chestov's early work, written around 1903 and published in St. Petersburg in 1905. It once caused a sensation with its aphoristic form and sharp perspectives. This book is a break from the appearance of a book presented with logical coherence and a mature system, emphasizing the whimsicality of human thought. No logical consistency is required, no foundation, no concepts—what is presented to the reader are contradictions and the destruction of tradition.