CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Philosophers such as Hegel, Fichte and Schelling development of metaphysical idealism were take n to be a great fault by Jacob Friedrich Fries. Fries opinion was that philosophical trend ought to have continued in the Kantian tradition. His simple reason for this according to Coqueston (248) remains that “we must investigate the nature and laws and scope of knowledge before we can tackle problems about the object of knowledge”. What Fires means have in that, the question regarding the Corkinty of object of knowledge can be approached by investigating the nature, laws and scope of knowledge. In this point, Fries shares affinity with the attitude of the father of British empiricism, John Locke.
Thus, Fries and his co-believers became the earlier opponents and critics of metaphysical idealism. Another philosopher who joined in the criticism was Christian Hermann Weisse, who opined that Hegel had exaggerated the role of logic for trying to deduce reality from the abstract forms of being. On his own, Immanuel Herman Fichte, son of the famous idealist emphasized the individual human personality. Fichte was strongly in opposition to what he regarded as Hegel’s tendency to submerge the individual in the universal where personality, the end of creation that was assored of immortality, was presented as a moment in the life of universal spirit. So, the chain of reaction against idealism continued and reached screen Kierkegaard. This Dane was described by Ludwig Wittgenstein (cited in Pattison, 1) to be “by far the most profound Thinkers  of the last cemtury”.
Soren Kierkegaard, the father of contemporary existentialism
In Omorveghs (39) words, this is a loose system of philosophy that deals “win, concrete existence as opposed essence”. The emergence of this system shifted the attention of philosophy from the study of metaphysical realities as obtainable in traditional philosophy of ancient and medieval periods to the study of the being of man and the tangible or concrete realities of existence.
Kierkegaard’s task was to refute Hegskanism or speculation philosophy as misrepresented by absolute idealism. Philosophy of Hegelianism, according to Copleston (335) misrepresented human existence such “     that man realizes his true self or essence in proportion as he transcends his particularity and becomes a spectator of all time and existence as a moment in the life of universal thought”.
The above approach purged the diet experience of existeritialism rise to his oars to react with scant sympathy for this radiculity. In his reaction, Kierkegaard built his philosophical thoughts in such a manner that, it fended to become “a clarification of issues and an appeal to choose, an attempt to get new to see their existential situation and the great alternatives with which they are faced” according to copleste (336). This clarification is necessary because the important problems of any human being is never resolved by sheer thought or speculation, “but by this act of choice, on the level of existence rather than on that of detached, objectives reflection” as Copestone (338) puts it.
Ordinarily, Kierkegaard posits that philosophy should concern itself not merely with abstract theories rather with questions such that confront individuals as existing beings. Citing Etim (1) question such as “who am I? what is the meaning of life? How can I live a meaningful and useful life? How can I remain there to myself and to others? What is the meaning of freedom for me? How can I use my freedom?” Kierkegaard want on to assert that human existence is not merely an existence but an authentic human existence with paschal relationship with his creator. The authenticity of this individual existences made Kierkegaard to raise questions such as “How should one live authentically as a Christian? How does one live in a personal relationship with God, and respond authentically to the demands of that relationships as …… did? What is the meaning of having a faithful relationship with God?
In this light, it is agreed that existential philosophy concern itself with the ultimate question of the meaning of human existence. By and large, existentialists approach where to discover the meaning and authenticity of …… existence. This work, therefore, seek to examine Soren Kierkegaard’s approach to the question of the meaning of human existence and the question concerning the question: what does it really mean to exist as a human person?