Karl Jaspers e la Kierkegaard-Renaissance di inizio Novecento. A proposito di un «libriccino»

The present paper explores one significant episode of the Kierkegaard-Renaissance which took place in Germany at the beginning of the twentieth century, thanks mostly to the works and translations of Theodor Haecker. In particular, the reception of Kierkegaard’s book Two Ages draws attention. The book, originally published in 1845 and translated into German in 1914, displays a pioneering criticism of mass society. It was allegedly well known by German intellectuals of that time, among them also Karl Jaspers. The final section of the paper analyzes the similarities between Kierkegaard’s criticism and Jaspers’ critical view of mass society as it is exposed in Die geistige Situation der Zeit. What ensues is both a vivid sketch of the age of European culture and a new exploration of Jaspers’ intellectual sources, casting light on his role as an actor in the twentieth century’s Kierkegaard-Renaissance.