Page "Poul Martin Møller" Paragraph 5

There is also significant common ground between the philosophical views of Møller and Kierkegaard, in large part due to Møller's tutelage.

After Møller's writings were published posthumously, Kierkegaard studied them in great detail.

It is generally believed that Møller had a maieutic relationship with Kierkegaard, hence Kierkegaard's description of Møller as, “ the confidant of Socrates ”.

They often debated the subjects of irony and humor, favorite topics of Kierkegaard's.

Although Møller had studied the works of Hegel in great depth, he later became skeptical of Hegel's philosophy.

He felt that Hegel's philosophy was limited because of its abstractness.

In his attack on Hegelianism in Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments, Kirkegaard cites Møller as an opponent of Hegel.

Another similarity is the dislike both men felt toward philosophical systems that emphasized thought without feeling.

Møller highly valued personal authenticity in philosophy and preferred the use of aphorisms over discursive arguments.

Kierkegaard greatly appreciated the lighthearted satirical tone of Møller's as a departure from the serious scholarly tone of many of their contemporary philosophers.