A Philosopher for Our Time
Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher who is reputed to be the forerunner
of the current vogue of existentialism. In appearance he was frail and ungainly
man. An extremely erudite thinker and writer, he was the potent force in 
propagating the new approach to life. His philosophy would excoriate those who
believed that man could stand aside from life. In this philosophy it is heresy
to take a detached point of view. It is the incumbent upon the individual to
get involved. What is germane is not that we exist, but our existence is 
determined by our acts. He was a religiously devout man that fervidly believed
that the individual is always paramount.

to toe the mark--to obey or stick to a rule or policy.
He wanted to kick over the traces, but his parents made him toe the mark.