When Kierkegaard Got Cancelled: A 19th-Century Case of Public Shaming in Denmark's Golden Age
By
bookofjoe
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Summary
The article explores the historical "cancellation" of philosopher Søren Kierkegaard in 1845 Denmark, when he was mercilessly mocked and attacked by Peder Ludvig Møller and Copenhagen's notorious scandal sheet, The Corsair. Despite surface similarities between the two men, Møller turned his critical pen on Kierkegaard, subjecting him to months of deeply personal public ridicule while his friends and allies remained silent. The piece draws parallels between this 19th-century public shaming and modern cancel culture, examining how Kierkegaard's experience of being ostracized by the cultural elite of his time mirrors contemporary phenomena of public condemnation and social exclusion.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledMocked by Copenhagen's most notorious scandal sheet, Kierkegaard endured months of deeply personal attacks and the silence of friends and allies.
The two men shared surface-level similarities. They were clos
He fancied himself a public figure in the mold of Lord Byron – sophisticated, worldly, and drawn to art and scandal.
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