Different still, a “ tragic hero” is someone who makes an enormous one-time personal sacrifice for the greater good.

On the other hand, a “ knight of infinite resignation” is someone who has taken the step of infinite resignation, but not the next step into faith-they don’t believe they’ll get back whatever they’ve sacrificed in this world, although they’ve reconciled themselves to the pain of loss. Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac at God’s request, is one example of a “ knight of faith,” which is a person who has moved past infinite resignation by sacrificing (or, in Abraham’s case, by being willing to sacrifice) the thing that is most precious to them, while simultaneously believing that they haven’t truly lost that thing in this world. According to Kierkegaard, one of the necessary steps a person must take in order to develop faith is infinite resignation, meaning they must be willing to sacrifice what is most precious to them. In it, Kierkegaard explores the topic of religious faith and, through the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, tries to explain what real faith is and how to embrace it. Søren Kierkegaard was one of the most influential European philosophers of the 19th century, and Fear and Trembling is one of his most powerful and enduring works.

Fear and Trembling by Søren Kierkegaard