Double-mindedness

Double-mindedness is a concept used in the philosophy and theology of the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.

Elaborating the concept in several of his edifying discourses, Kierkegaard asserts that double-mindedness is a moral category that comes about by a failure of willing authentically.^[1] He contrasts double-mindedness with "Purity of Heart", which is, a state of being which wills authentically. Double-mindedness fails to will the Good for its own sake, but instead wills the Good on extramoral grounds, such as insincerity, egoistic, or fear of punishment:

In order, genuinely to will one thing, a man must in truth will the Good. On the other hand, as for each act of willing the Good which does not will it in truth, it must be declared to be double-mindedness. Then there was a type of double-mindedness that in a more powerful and active sort of inner coherence seemed to will the Good, but deceptively willed something else. It willed the Good for the sake of reward, out of fear of punishment, or as a form of self-assertion. But there was another kind of double-mindedness born of weakness, that is commonest of all among men, that versatile double-mindedness that wills the Good in a kind of sincerity, but only wills it "to a certain degree." - Purity of Heart, Chapter 8

The first type of double-mindedness, that of willing for the sake of reward or out of fear of punishment, is akin to the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic values. The second type of double-mindedness, that of willing only to a certain degree, is akin to distraction or half-hearted willing. Each type of double-mindedness is a human weakness and an obstacle to an individual pursuit of greatness and strength towards willing and reaching the Good.^[2] To counter double-mindedness, Kierkegaard argues that discipline and clarity of the self is essential and necessary to overcome double-mindedness.

Primary Sources

Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing, by Sören Kierkegaard, March 13, 1847

References

1. ^ Knappe, Ulrich. Theory and practice in Kant and Kierkegaard, Walter de Gruyter, p. 52.
2. ^ Hannay, Alastair. Kierkegaard, Routledge, p. 220-225.