“Concepts, like individuals, have their histories and are just as incapable of withstanding the ravages of time as are individuals. But in and through all this they retain a kind of homesickness for the scenes of their childhood.”
- May 5, 1813 – November 11, 1855
- Danish
- Philosopher, Theologian, Poet, Father of Existentialism
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Quote
“Concepts, like individuals, have their histories and are just as incapable of withstanding the ravages of time as are individuals. But in and through all this they retain a kind of homesickness for the scenes of their childhood.”
Explanation
In this quote, Kierkegaard draws a poignant analogy between concepts and human beings, suggesting that ideas, like people, evolve, decay, and long for their origins. Just as individuals are shaped by time, experience, and circumstance, so too are concepts—ethical, philosophical, or theological notions—which may lose their original meaning or vitality over the centuries. Yet even as they change, they carry a “homesickness”, a nostalgic pull toward their pure, foundational essence.
Kierkegaard was deeply concerned with how truths become distorted through cultural transmission. In his 19th-century context, Christianity had become, in his eyes, overly institutionalized and diluted. Terms like “faith” or “love” had lost their existential urgency, becoming abstractions rather than lived realities. This quote laments how concepts drift from their origins, yet still retain a trace of their original force and sincerity, much like a person longing for their innocent past.
Today, this insight applies to how we use language in politics, religion, and culture. Words like “justice,” “freedom,” or “identity” often carry layers of historical usage and distortion, sometimes far removed from their original meaning. Kierkegaard’s reflection urges us to revisit the roots of our concepts, to understand not just how they are used now, but what they once meant and still yearn to mean. In doing so, we honor both the passage of time and the enduring call of origin.
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