SOURCE: O'Regan, Brigitta. “The Paradox of Existence.” In Self and Existence: J. M. R. Lenz's Subjective Point of View, pp. 97-105. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 1997.

In the following essay, O'Regan contends that Lenz used ambiguity and paradox in his works in order to call attention to human self-deception and the mystery of existence.

Kierkegaard's employs a dialectical style to convey his existential truths and more often than not he makes use of paradox to communicate his insights. In addition, he insists that a subjective thinker's style of writing must have a relationship to his existence:

The subjective thinker has a form, a form for his communication with other men, and this form constitutes his style. It must be as manifold as the opposites he holds in combination. The systematic eins, zwei, drei is an abstract form, and must therefore fail when applied to the concrete. In the...