ABSTRACT
Jeremy Walker thinks only one philosophical figure, Socrates, preceded Soren Kierkegaard, and only one, Simone Weil, followed him in placing self-examination at the heart of ethical existence. Walker operates in the analytic tradition since his monograph engages in a close analysis of Kierkegaardian concepts and terms. Kierkegaard's theology is given no full-blown treatment by Walker, but the last two chapters do deal with the theological themes of "Ways of Existing before God" and "Christ as 'the Truth.'" The language of Walker's book, though, dwells much more on ethics than on religion. The Christ as the God-man leads Walker to a discussion of offense, faith, and being a contemporary. Walker does not articulate the full contours of Kierkegaard's metaphysic. Walker likens Kierkegaard's metaphysics to a way of arranging words that has parallels to Wittgenstein's language game.
