In the passages from Either/Or, Kierkegaard writes that "boredom is the root of all evil" (22). What he means is that if one's religion is watered-down and vague and without passion, one might as well not even have religion at all. To escape from the flat, empty boredom of human life, great effort is required. What is important is discovering just what direction to make that effort in. Clearly, Kierkegaard feels that one cannot put one's faith in other human beings, for they will inevitably disappoint. One should not depend on social rewards. Kierkegaard advocates the spontaneous life, the life of "arbitrariness" (31), so that passion can be a part of life: "Let others complain that the age is wicked; my complaint is that it is wretched, for it lacks passion" (33). The selections from Either/Or conclude with a Zen-like tale of laughter-as-wisdom.
In Chapter 1, the Introduction to Richard Schmitt's Alienation and Class, we read that "With the word `alienation' we name the meaning unhappiness has in our society" (1). Schmitt says that alienation is caused by society's "division into classes" (1). Alienation is social in that it expresses itself in different ways according to the specific society in question. At the same time, Schmitt makes clear that alienation is universal; it is a part of the human condition. He examines his own mother's life for evidence of alienation and finds its causes in her failure "to use her abilities and occupy a respected place in the world" (4). Schmitt argues that alienation has been a part of man's social and individual life since history began, but modern alienation is especially severe because it was created by class divisions which were in turn created by capitalism. The author discusses various definitions of alienation. He dismisses those definitions which focus only on the individual, emphasizing instead the social, economic and political alienation which flows from capitalistic class society: ...