Kierkegaard and Nietzsche were deliberately provocative contrarian precursors to existentialism

Evidence

Both were individualists, and both were contrarians by nature, dedicated to making people uncomfortable. Both must have been unbearable to spend more than a few hours with. Both sit outside the main story of modern existentialism, as precursors, but had a great impact on what developed later. — Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café, 56

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Nietzsche and Kierkegaard defined existence as choice, action and self-assertion; Hegel and Kierkegaard together form the twin sources of existentialism — Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café: Freedom,…, 460; Kierkegaard deliberately provoked people into feeling existence’s passion rather than abstraction — Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café: Freedom,…, 58 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Kierkegaard deliberately provoked people into feeling existence’s passion rather than abstraction #exemplifies (0.88) — Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café, 58
• Hegel and Kierkegaard together form the twin sources of existentialism #expands (0.80) — Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café, 460
• Existentialist philosophy values active engaged form over abstract speculation #expands (0.75) — Christine Daigle, Jacob Golomb (eds.), Beauvoir and Sartre, 38
• Beauvoir’s system-based definition of philosophy would exclude Kierkegaard and Nietzsche #complicates (0.75) — Christine Daigle, Jacob Golomb (eds.), Beauvoir and Sartre, 34