Søren Aabye Kierkegaard; Copenhagen, May 5, 1813 – Copenhagen, November 11, 1855, was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, and social critic, widely considered the first existentialist philosopher. Throughout his career, he wrote critical texts on organized religion, Christianity, morality, ethics, psychology, and philosophy of religion, showing a particular penchant for figures of speech such as metaphor, irony, and allegory.