Before I turn to an examination of Kierkegaard's texts, it will be useful to say something about the intellectual scene in Denmark during the first half of the nineteenth century and Hegel's influence on it. As was indicated in the Introduction, due to the enormous mass of material it is impossible in the context of this investigation to give a detailed account of the history of Hegelianism in Denmark. Nonetheless, it will be useful here at the outset to discuss briefly some of the most important figures involved in the discussion about Hegelianism during Kierkegaard's lifetime and to examine his contact with them and thus with Hegel's philosophy at one degree removed. Pursuant of this goal, I have dedicated the second and third sections of the present chapter to a brief review of the principal adherents and critics of Hegelianism in Denmark during the 1820s, 1830s, and 1840s. It should be noted that my account can be nothing more than a cursory overview, appropriate only for the limited purposes of the present study. In addition to orienting the reader in Kierkegaard's historical context, my goal is to introduce the various personalities and their main works so that they will not be completely unfamiliar when I come, in the body of this study, to discuss them in an ad hoc fashion in connection with my analyses of Kierkegaard's texts.