What Happens At The End Of 'Either Or'?

Kierkegaard’s 'Either Or' wraps up with a curveball that still has me scratching my head in the best way. After pages of debating pleasure versus duty, the book drops this sermon that basically says, 'Hey, no matter what you choose, you’re probably missing the bigger picture.' It’s like the philosophical equivalent of a mic drop. The shift from abstract arguments to a heartfelt plea for spiritual humility is jarring but brilliant. I love how it refuses to give easy answers—instead, it makes you sit with the discomfort of uncertainty. That’s Kierkegaard for you: always keeping you on your toes.

The ending of 'Either Or' by Søren Kierkegaard is a fascinating blend of philosophical musings and narrative ambiguity that leaves much to the reader's interpretation. The book, part of his larger work 'Either/Or,' presents two contrasting life views through the pseudonymous authors 'A' and 'Judge Wilhelm.' The final section, 'Ultimatum,' includes a sermon titled 'The Upbuilding That Lies in the Thought That We Are Always in the Wrong Before God,' which shifts the tone from aesthetic and ethical deliberations to a more religious reflection. This sermon suggests a transcendence beyond the either/or dichotomy, pointing toward a higher, divine truth.

What strikes me most about the ending is how it doesn’t neatly resolve the earlier debates but instead opens a new dimension. The aesthetic life (represented by 'A') and the ethical life (embodied by the Judge) are both left hanging, as if Kierkegaard is nudging the reader toward a leap of faith. It’s not about choosing one or the other but recognizing the limitations of both. The sermon’s emphasis on humility and spiritual reckoning feels like a quiet bombshell after the earlier intellectual fireworks. I’ve revisited this ending multiple times, and each read leaves me with a different take—sometimes it feels like a critique of human arrogance, other times like a tender invitation to surrender.