Translator's Preface _6
Prayer _14
Introduction _16
Introduction _19
Reference Material _23

Part 1: The Disease That Leads to Death is Despair 29

A despair is a disease that leads to death.
31
A.
Despair is a disease of the spirit, a disease of the self.
So there are three forms.
First, the despair of not being aware of one's own existence (not despair in the strict sense); second, the despair of not wanting to be oneself; third, the despair of wanting to be oneself.
31
B.
The Possibility and Reality of Despair 34
C.
Despair is “the sickness unto death.”
39
Reference 45
B The universality of this disease (despair) 59
Reference 70
C This disease (despair) form 73
A.
Despair 74, which considers only the elements that make up one's own synthesis, without considering whether they are conscious or not.
B.
Despair Under the Rule of Consciousness 97
Reference 152

Part 2: Despair is a Sin 207

A Despair is a Sin 209
Chapter 1: Stages of Self-Consciousness (Definition: From God) 213
Appendix: The Definition of Sin Included the Possibility of Forargelse - General Considerations on Forargelse 221
Chapter 2: The Socratic Definition of Sin 229
Chapter 3: Sin is not a Negation, but a Position 245
Appendix A: In what sense, then, is "sin" not so rare? (Moral Question) 253
Reference 259
B The Persistence of Sin 299
A.
Sin 307: Despair over one's own sins
B.
Sin (Slip) of Despair about Forgiveness (om) 315
C.
The Sin of Declaring Christianity Untrue and Actively Rejecting It 337
Reference 349

Why is "The Sickness Unto Death" necessary in modern society?

Today we live in emptiness amidst abundance.
On the surface, we pursue success and happiness, but deep down, anxiety and despair take a greater place.
The 'despair' that Kierkegaard diagnosed in 'The Sickness Unto Death' is not simply depression or sadness.
Losing yourself, unable to live as your true self? This is precisely the inner emptiness many people experience today.
This book leads us to face the truth of despair and shows us the way to hope within it.
So, The Sickness Unto Death is not a 19th-century philosophical text, but a spiritual guide for our time.

“You are already sick.
But this disease is not a disease of the body, but a disease of despair caused by losing oneself.”

This 'sickness unto death' of which Kierkegaard spoke is the face that our times are hiding.
This book forces you to confront the despair you've been trying to avoid, and shows you the true hope that only within it can you find it.

What are Parts 1 and 2 of The Sickness Unto Death about?

This book is divided into two main parts.

Part 1 - Faces of Despair
Kierkegaard dissects the 'despair' hidden within humans.
He says despair is not simply depression or sadness, but “a disease of losing oneself.”
The despair of not knowing oneself properly, the despair of denying oneself, and the despair of trying to stand on one's own without God are all displayed in various forms.


Part 2 - The Path Beyond Despair
But the book doesn't stop at talking about despair.
It reveals that the root of despair is ultimately separation from God, that is, sin, and that the only way to healing is through faith in Christ.
Faith restores us to our true selves and moves us beyond despair to hope.
Therefore, “The Sickness Unto Death” is not simply a book of philosophy, but a guide to life and a book of hope that teaches us, living today, “how to live without losing ourselves.”

The writing period of "The Sickness Unto Death"
The Sickness Unto Death is a work published by Kierkegaard in 1849 under the pseudonym 'Anti-Climacus'.
One of Kierkegaard's later masterpieces, it analyzes human existence from the perspective of "despair," and argues that only faith in Christ can heal despair.
It is considered a theological critique of the Danish church and society of the time, and at the same time, the most profound existential diagnosis.

Features of this translation

The book we are presenting this time, “The Sickness Unto Death,” is not simply another translation.

1.
Honorific Translation for Modern Readers
Instead of a stiff and outdated style, it was translated naturally into today's language.
It captures the vividness of Kierkegaard speaking directly to us.

2.
Faithfully reflects biblical vocabulary
The Sickness Unto Death is both a philosophical work and a theological work rooted in the Bible.
This translation faithfully reflects the expressions of the Bible (Revised Version), restoring key concepts such as “sin,” “despair,” “faith,” and “hope” to their original meanings.
As a result, this book is read not simply as a philosophy book, but as a spiritual diagnosis.

3.
A new translation directly from the Danish original
Unlike previous Korean translations, this one is based on the Danish original, not an intermediate language.
This is a completely new translation, presented for the first time in Korean, that preserves the depth and nuance of the original text to the fullest extent possible.