Reflections: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH at the KIERKEGAARD SUMMER INSTITUTE

by Grant Sheft, July 2023

When my father passed away from pancreatic cancer three years ago, I felt broken. Bewildered, I questioned the purpose of my existence, why this had happened, and even the meaning of life itself. Although my rabbi provided temporary respite, it was the study of philosophy that ultimately rescued me from this dark and hopeless period. Exposing myself to texts such as Plato’s Euthrypo and Aquinas’ The Five Ways provided immediate support to my questioning of causation and G/d’s existence following my father’s death. However, the journey of finding hope wasn’t as easy.

My pessimism spurred from my fear of being let down again, just like I was when I had hope during my father’s cancer treatment. I knew the only way to grow was to embrace the discomfort. I realized that I had to allow myself to truly take the time to allow philosophy to be philosophy. Philosophy comes from two roots. The root “philo-” comes from the Greek verb “philein” to love, and the second root “sophia,” is Wisdom in Greek. Wisdom, just like research, is achieved through inquiry. I knew that I had to challenge my personal experiences and dive deep into the philosophy of hope. Thus, in the fall of my junior year of high school, I decided to start an independent study on the philosophy of hope, studying whether hope is necessary or is a detriment to action through the works of three philosophers Søren Kierkegaard (my favorite philosopher), Albert Camus, and Cornel West. For the last three years, including my independent study, my philosophical journey has consisted of either individualistic inquiry or work for professors at universities. I always wanted the opportunity to join a group of fellow students also passionate about philosophical research.

When I found the Hong Kierkegaard Library’s Young Kierkegaard Scholars Program, now titled ‘Undergraduate Research at the Kierkegaard Summer Institute’, I was enthralled! I immediately applied in hopes of pursuing my research and finding a community of fellow Kierkegaardian scholars. The library lived up to all of my expectations!

I was profoundly impacted by my research at the Hong Kierkegaard Library this summer. While I had studied the concept of Kierkegaardian hope throughout my independent study during my junior year, this summer, I wanted to dive deeper into the topic, given that I had found myself during my previous studies prioritizing the comparison of Camus and West’s theories of earthly hope. The world class library not only centralizes Kierkegaard’s work but also information from international scholars who influenced or commented on his work. Specifically, the resources found in the “Related Thinkers Section” in the upper level of Steensland accelerated the development of the first section of my paper. Learning from the writings of scholars who critiqued Kierkegaardian hope was essential to understanding how his theory became perceived. Additionally, beyond the classic books written by Kierkegaard that are not found in regular libraries, the “Kierk 1” section allowed me to explore unique primary sources and journals unavailable to the general public. Finally, the “Kierk 2” and dissertation sections provided me with a specialized database for secondary authorship on Kierkegaard. Imperatively, beyond the literary resources kept at the Hong Kierkegaard Library, the cooperative environment of the Undergraduate Research Group provided me with a unique opportunity to collaborate with fellow Kierkegaard enthusiasts and their invaluable perspectives, as well as with leading Kierkegaard professors around the world. I remember how I spent one Tuesday afternoon with Iben Damgaard, as we discussed Adorno’s critique of Kierkegaard’s concept of neighborly love, as I aimed to understand the extent to which Kierkegaard addressed justice on Earth.

Undergraduate Research at the Kierkegaard Summer Institute Summer was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. I am eternally grateful.