Philosophy of Martin Heidegger - Article Example

INTRODUCTION The German philosopher Martin Heidegger is considered to be among the prominent philosophers of 20th century. His work is considered to be controversial, because he has evolved certain new concepts and perspectives which were previously beyond imagination. He has made immense contribution towards in different areas including, phenomenology, existentialism, hermeneutics, political theory, psychology, theology, and postmodernism. He made significant contribution for the development of ontology, i.e. study of being. He practiced phenomenological analysis of human existence in an attempt to access being, with reference to the temporal and historical character. He also discussed the nihilism of modern technology, and its generated society and tried to correlate the thoughts and perspectives of the western philosophical tradition with the question of being. He employed methods of phenomenology to pursue metaphysical goals. The perspective of phenomenology was established by the German thinker Edmund Husserl. Phenomenology is the science of consciousness and the related objects. Husserl tried to analyze the human consciousness. He proposed that consciousness is an intentional act. "Intentional" means that it is directed towards an object. Heidegger tried to analyze the phenomenon of "being" in a different way from which Husserl tried to interpret it. DISCUSSION: Ready-to-Hand & Present-at-Hand Heidegger's philosophy has much in similar with the philosophy proposed by Edmund Husserl. Husserl's basic idea was that the mind is directed towards objects under aspects. One orients or directs ones emotions towards an object. Thereby directness becomes a unique feature of the mind. The suggestion was that the mind responds to what is before it in a direct and spontaneous manner. 'Heidegger himself who is supposed to have broken with Husserl bases his hermeneutics on an account of time that not only parallels Husserl's account in many ways but seems to have been arrived at through the same phenomenological method as was used by Husserl' (R Dostal 1993). The Cartesian tradition has been foundation for phenomenology. Husserl is of the opinion that one can reach the phenomenological attitude, based on the detailed analysis of the content of consciousness, from natural attitude, based on actual world and related affairs by the application of methodological procedure. Freedom from prejudice and achievement of purity is possible through phenomenological reduction. Heidegger believes that phenomenology is based on separate analysis of consciousness. The Cartesian tradition of depicting reality was something against which Heidegger reacted. Heidegger's equation of subjects and objects was quite different. He suggested that when a subject is totally engrossed in something his mind need not be focused on every action that is going on in the process. S/he can carry on two or three mental activities at the same time. 'Heidegger calls this kind of every day skillful coping 'primordial understanding' and the entities 'ready to hand' (B Magee 1987). But if there is a problem with the routine we will consciously think about it. This is what Heidegger defines as "unready to hand". When we are in the action of closing a door or washing clothes we will do this activity while letting our mind wander in other areas. But if the door becomes suddenly heavy or if a cloth gets torn we will start thinking about the action in which we are involved. So according to Heidegger there is a different equation between subjects and objects at different times. Perception is not a direct, neutral activity. It is embedded in the situations which are an inevitable part of it. When we are in a contemplative mood we are able to perceive objects in a different manner. We see that object not in terms of its use but we see it in terms of its components. The structure of the object becomes apparent to us. This state can be termed 'present at hand'. We see the objects as separate from its function. The hammer we use without paying any attention to will be seen in terms of its handle and the materials used to make it. Heidegger has approved the explanation with regard to philosophy as 'its own time comprehended in thought'; the same thought has been delivered by the historians. According to Heidegger, the history of philosophy was to be considered as Western civilization's ever-deepening forgetfulness or oblivion of being, and he disapproved the belief that supported progressive self-realization of spirit version of history philosophy. DASEIN: Ready-to-Hand & Present-at-Hand Heidegger questions the concept of subjects as knowing beings. He also questions the certainty of knowledge that human beings gain about the objects that constitute the world. The subjects as knowing beings cannot be separated from the world of things or others. According to Heidegger what make an action possible are the shared things and practices. It is not possible to separate one from the shared practices. 'Heidegger calls the shared meaning in our shared practices our understanding of meaning' (B Magee 1987). It is impossible to describe Heidegger's concepts of reality without reference to the term 'Dasein'. Dasein refers to a general way of being. Dasein has German origin, and means life or existence Dasein is source for the disclosure of being The essence of Dasein is its existence. It suggests that we are how we interpret ourselves in our practices. The underlying concept is that it is our actions which give us our identity as a person. Dasein can also be a single human being or an instance of activity. Dasein can be hereby described as a human being who is a self. This being interacts in the world. Dasein finds an outside world and interacts with it. The world consists of other things or other human beings. Heidegger describes the entities outside the self as things, gear, ready at hand and pragmata. Dasein interacts with things in the mode of care and directionality. He analyzed the concept of being in a detailed manner, and referred to the daily life as utensils, or in particular mood of anxiety, and has further revealed the identity of Dasein, and terms it to be particular kind of being. Heidegger has denied the concept with reference to the constitution of the original on the basis of pure consciousness, rather is of the opinion that Dasein in its being is the core of philosophy. Heidegger through his meditation in metaphysical questions seems to arrive at a conclusion that to understand being one must first understand the human kind of being Dasein. Dasein is the kind of being who asks the question of being. Human beings truly exist yet our "being there" is subject to a systematic radical uncertainty. Dasein is not a synonym for consciousness but indicates the vital fact that human beings truly exist in the fullest sense only when being there for themselves. Unless one has a comprehension of oneself the life one leads will not be authentic. It is awareness of the self that lends authenticity to life. This life, according to Heidegger is created out of nothing in the face of dread or "angst" as he chose to call it. Life can be made authentic only by reference to one's own deliberate purposes. He described the feeling of angst as a deep emotion of dread. He felt that this is the most vital clue to the nature and reality of nothing. Heidegger has tried to conceive phenomenology in a broad manner, with an etymological approach. Heidegger has applied the term phenomenology for the designation of the method, which is in contradiction Husserl, who has considered phenomenology to be the basis for the philosophy. Heidegger has termed phenomenology as an exercise of ontology. According to him, "Phenonenology is the way of access to what is to become the theme of ontology" (Carol. 2005). Phenomenological method has to be applied to secure the understanding of being. The access to being is indirect because it is considered to be being of a being, and is accessible through existing entity therefore phenomenological reduction is important. Heidegger considered Dasein to be source through which normal being is accessible. We observe that Heidegger has employed Husserlian phenomenological reduction in a different manner. Heideggar's philosophy is not based on consciousness, and phenomenological or theoretical attitude of consciousness is secondary mode for the analysis of Dasein's being. Heidegger and Husserl share similar opinion with reference to the transcendental constitution of the world, and its failure to explore through naturalistic or physical explanations. Heidegger has termed phenomenology as method to explore being, Being and Time philosophy is considered to be phenomenological ontology which is complementary and refuse the analysis of Dasein. HUMAN MIND: Ready-to-Hand & Present-at-Hand According to Aristotle the major feature for differentiating between natural entities with artifacts has been movement. Heidegger has contradicted the idea, and is of the opinion that entities inherit auto-disclosive phenomena. Heidegger has observed that these entities have their origin from unknown ness into known ness, 'or from distortion into clarity, or from forgotten ness into remembrance', and has termed as possible sources for the existence of the entity' (Carol. 2005). All of these are modes of appropriation, ways an entity comes into presence. Thus, to see an entity as disclosed is to see it as kinetic. And that means not only seeing the present entity but also indeed priory co-seeing the being of the entity, its pres-ab-sentiality'. Heidegger has evolved relationship between the self-disclosive structure of human being and the auto-disclosive structure of entities, and has stressed that former supports the latter. 'Human being is present to itself, that is, is the openness of Dasein only by being appropriated into its own self-absence. But the openness is the arena in which entities show up as this or that, i.e., in their being. The openness is given by the human being's kinetic self-absence; and that absence in turns allow for the finite presence of entities as this or that'. He further elaborated, 'Being itself recedes, but, as this recess, being is precisely the pull that claims human being's being as the place of being's own arrival, 'the disclosure of entities has a privative dimension that is registered in human being's transcendence in such a way as to allow the disclosure of entities'' (Nietzsche, pp. 368). . Heidegger has termed Dasein more than just a normal human being; in his opinion. Heidegger philosophy is based on many mysterious thoughts, with reference to the interpretation of Dasein. Heidegger is of the opinion that Dasein has deepened meaning, and refuted the universal concept of the Dasein. Heidegger's change in approach towards Dasein is still in connection with the questions with reference to Being and Time. Heidegger has attempted to relate and explore the concept of being. 'The ontological difference, the distinction between being and beings, is fundamental for Heidegger. The forgetfulness of being which, according to him, occurs in the course of western philosophy amounts to the oblivion of this distinction' (John, 1994) . Heidegger was in quest to explore the possible experience of the being of entities, and avoided the discussion with reference to the being-of-entities. Heidegger expressed his interest to know more about the experience of all modes of being, the source which emits the being of entities to human experience, ignoring the characteristics of the being based on ontological or theological aspects. (Graham, 2002) Heidegger solved the puzzle through phenomenological and kinetic approach. The phenomenological transformation is based on the exposure of the meaningful disclosure to human experience. Heidegger has favored the tradition which discusses the being of entities with reference to the human experience. He claimed that, 'metaphysics failed to see whatever it is that gives or dispenses the being of entities, that being is intrinsically kinetic, i.e., an ontological movement of disclosure that is bound up with the ontological movement of human being itself' (John, 1994). There is a relationship between the self-disclosive structure of human being and the auto-disclosive structure of entities. According to Heidegger, 'human being is present to itself', explains that openness of Dasein. 'The openness of Dasein is the arena in which entities show up as this or that, i.e. in their being. The openness is given by the human being's kinetic self-absence; and that absence in turns allow for the finite presence of entities as this or that' (Thomas, 1984). Entity's movement into appearance is marked as appropriation process. The philosophy of Heidegger has highlighted that Plato's introduced bi-dimensionality of appropriation i.e. movement and appearance was ignored, and therefore only movement was considered fundamental base. According to Heidegger, the understanding of truth is not only based on the pres-ab-sential disclosure of entities, rather it is based on the intellectual correspondence shared between human being and the entities within their disclosed present ness. 'As privative presence drop out of the picture, any hope of grasping the corresponding kinetic nature of human being is lost. The being of entities is interpreted as stable disclosed ness, and human being is understood as the one who renders entities meaningfully present in that stable appearance. And since only what is unmoving and eternal is, truly stable, only the eternal shows itself as true being. Temporal, moving entities are relegated to the status of me on, not-really-in-being' (Thomas, 1984). Heidegger was deeply influenced by Aristotle, Husserl and also by the Eastern way of thought. He was particularly impressed by the Koyoto School of thought in Japan. Heidegger's language is quote impenetrable at times and sometimes seems to be inaccessible. At the core of Heidegger's philosophy lies the questions of being and existence. REFERENCES 1. Thomas Sheehan. Heidegger's Philosophy of Mind. Contemporary Philosophy: A New Survey. Philosophy of Mind, Vol. IV. 1984. 2. Graham Harman. Tool-Being: Heidegger and the Metaphysics of Objects. Black Well Publishers. 2002. pp. 123. 3. John L. Protevi. Time and Exteriority: Aristotle, Heidegger, Derrida. Bucknell University Press. 1994. pp. 120 4. Carol J. White, Mark Ralkowski. Time and Death: Heidegger's Analysis of Finitude. Prentice Hall. 2005. pp. 24. 5. Robert J. Dostal. Time and Phenomenology in Husserl and Heidegger. The Cambridge Companion to Heidegger. Cambridge University Press 1993. pp.142 6. Bryan Magee. The Great Philosophers: An Introduction to Western Philosophy. BBC Books. 1987. pp 258, 263 Read More