Q0260
“The self is a relation that relates itself to itself.” — Søren Kierkegaard (The Sickness unto Death)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Sickness unto Death. Theme: self.
English
The self is a relation that relates itself to itself.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Sickness unto Death and files it under Existentialism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) was a Danish religious author and critic of Christendom who wrote under pseudonyms exploring aesthetic, ethical, and religious existence. Inheriting a melancholy family fortune, he attacked Hegelian system and lukewarm official faith in Copenhagen.
Interpretation
Kierkegaard's definition in The Sickness unto Death is deliberately formal. A self is not a thing but a relation: consciousness relating to itself, and in doing so relating to what established it. The point of the formulation is that a self can be misrelated — despair is a failure in how the relation is held rather than a lack of something. He can therefore describe despair without assuming a fixed human nature, which is what makes the account applicable to people who feel no particular distress.
Why it matters
It reframes a question people usually ask about identity. Instead of "what am I?", the question becomes "how am I holding myself?" — which is something you can be doing badly without knowing it.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
- Relation
- Relation appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat relation as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Existence
- Existence appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat existence as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Søren Kierkegaard. (n.d.). The self is a relation that relates itself to itself. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0260
MLA: Søren Kierkegaard. “The self is a relation that relates itself….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0260.
Chicago: Søren Kierkegaard. “The self is a relation that relates itself….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0260.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “The self is a relation that relates itself…”?
The passage is attributed to Søren Kierkegaard, The Sickness unto Death. The archive attributes this English wording to The Sickness unto Death and files it under Existentialism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Søren Kierkegaard mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, relation, existence.