Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic, and author. Born in 1813, he is widely regarded as the first existentialist philosopher. Like later existentialists, he prioritized the self as the basis for all philosophy, viewing humans as free agents capable of making decisions and finding spiritual truths. In most of his earlier works, including Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard wrote under pseudonyms so that he could engage with philosophical topics and questions from a variety of perspectives. In doing so, he employed the Hegelian dialectic, though he disagreed with Hegel’s views and felt that social and literary critics of his time were far too quick to employ Hegelian philosophy in their criticism.

Kierkegaard’s father had been a laborer on church lands before he moved the family to Copenhagen, where he became rich through his work as a wholesaler. Kierkegaard had six siblings, four of whom died. From his father, he inherited a strict religiosity as well as a generally depressed personality and outlook on life. As a young man, Kierkegaard studied theology. He was engaged to a woman named Regine Olsen but suddenly broke off their engagement for reasons that were never quite clear to him.