Kierkegaard, Doubt and Virtue in a Time of Crisis

Dear Colleagues,

We find ourselves in a deepening epistemic crisis, manifesting itself in phenomena such as the proliferation of fake news, echo chambers and conspiracy theories. Scholars in other areas and disciplines are already busy trying to address these issues, but so far there has not been a serious attempt at mobilizing resources from the history of philosophy to address the current challenges. This Special Issue seeks to remedy this lack by focussing on Søren Kierkegaard’s authorship as a valuable resource. In particular, the Special Issue wants to consider if the current epistemic crisis has an underlying ‘existential’ dimension which needs to be explored before potential solutions can be found.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, “Kierkegaard, Doubt and Virtue in a Time of Crisis”, in which we would like to consider the nature and role of doubt in Kierkegaard’s oeuvre (in his pseudonymous writings, as well as the upbuilding discourses) and its relevance to contemporary debates concerning the epistemic crisis and the crisis of values (both in and outside of academia). In addition, we welcome contributions on the nature and role of virtues (both intellectual and moral)—e.g., moral and intellectual courage—in Kierkegaard’s work and their potential to ameliorate current epistemic pathologies.

In this Special Issue, original research articles are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• The relation between doubt and anxiety in Kierkegaard’s work.
• Applications of Kierkegaard’s thought to issues in contemporary epistemology, the philosophy of conspiracy theories and the crisis of values in the wider culture.
• The 'existential' aspect of the current epistemic crisis from a Kierkegaardian perspective.
• Moral and/or intellectual virtues in Kierkegaard's authorship.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Genia Schönbaumsfeld
Dr. Caecilie Varslev-Pedersen
Guest Editors

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• Kierkegaard
• virtue
• doubt
• crisis
• epistemology
• scepticism
• ethics