Martin Heidegger was a philosopher whose ideas have had a profound impact on contemporary European philosophy and beyond.
His work is often associated with phenomenology and existentialism, but it should be identified with care and qualification.
Heidegger believed that today’s metaphysics, in the form of technology and calculative thinking, has become so pervasive that there is no realm of life that is not subject to its dominance.
He also believed that understanding everyday objects presupposes a world organized around human existence, and that understanding what it means to be human is a necessary step in all understanding.
In this article, we will explore Heidegger’s beliefs about time, temporality, and the human experience.
What Did Heidegger Believe
Heidegger believed that time finds its meaning in death. From a finite or mortal vantage, time is understood only in relation to our mortality. He saw Dasein’s essential mode of being-in-the-world as temporal, meaning that having been “thrown” into a world implies a “pastness” to its being. Dasein occupies itself with present tasks required by goals it has projected on the future. Thus, Heidegger concluded that Dasein’s fundamental characteristic is temporality.
Dasein, as an inseparable subject/object, cannot be separated from its objective “historicality.” On the one hand, Dasein is “stretched along” between birth and death and thrown into its world; into its possibilities which Dasein is charged with assuming. On the other hand, Dasein’s access to this world and these possibilities is always via a history and a tradition – this is the question of “world historicality.”
Heidegger also believed that understanding everyday objects presupposes a world organized around human existence. The “world” that humans inhabit is importantly organized by physical design and language around human existence. Consequently, Heidegger believed that understanding what it means to be human is a necessary step in all understanding.
Introduction To Martin Heidegger’s Philosophy
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher who is considered to be one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. He was born in 1889 and is best known for his work in existentialism and phenomenology. Heidegger’s philosophy is deeply rooted in the question of Being, which had been largely forgotten by the metaphysical tradition existing from Plato to Descartes. He revived this question and played around with language whilst reinterpreting various philosophical texts. He was also influenced by the Greeks and spent considerable time reflecting on ancient Greek thought.
Heidegger’s thought is a sort of authentic retrieval of the past. He believed that understanding everyday objects presupposes a world organized around human existence, and that understanding what it means to be human is a necessary step in all understanding. He was especially concerned with understanding the meaning or intelligibility of “being,” because everything we deal with in some way “is.” This concern led to his first and still most significant publication, Sein und Zeit (Being and Time), in 1927.
Heidegger’s philosophy is deeply rooted in existentialism and phenomenology, which are philosophical movements that attempt to describe and discuss matters exactly as they present themselves to us, and to clarify who we are and what we take for granted when we allow things to show themselves to us for observation or use. Heidegger was influenced by Edmund Husserl, the founder of phenomenology, who proposed intentionality as the characteristic of consciousness whereby it is conscious of something. In other words, it’s directedness toward an object.
Heidegger rejected Cartesian dualism regarding object and subject and the distinction between mind and body, which can be traced back to rationalist thinker Descartes. He arrived at one single first principle of human existence: I think. Thought cannot be separated from me; therefore, I exist. However, this self-conscious reflection does not exhaust our being. Heidegger said that before you think, you have to be. In fact, most of the time we’re just busy getting “stuff” done. It’s this feature of us that Heidegger pays special attention to, the “everydayness” of human existence. Prior to being a rational animal or a brain, we are firstly just Being. Heidegger tries to capture this Being before it is humanly defined.
Heidegger’s Critique Of Contemporary Metaphysics
Heidegger’s critique of contemporary metaphysics stems from his belief that traditional Western philosophy has become nihilistic and fails to address the fundamental question of being. He argues that metaphysics only concerns itself with beings (Seiende) as such, which includes everything from the smallest quark to the highest almighty creator. However, this approach misses the essential nature of being (Sein) itself.
Heidegger’s critique of contemporary metaphysics can be seen in his fundamental treatise, Being and Time. In this work, he attempted to access being by means of phenomenological analysis of human existence in respect to its temporal and historical character. He criticized the tradition of Western philosophy for obliterating the question of being as such and emphasized the nihilism of modern technological culture.
Heidegger also believed that language plays a crucial role in accessing the question of being. He turned to the exegesis of historical texts, especially of the Presocratics, but also of Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche and Hölderlin, and to poetry, architecture, technology, and other subjects. Instead of looking for a full clarification of the meaning of being, he tried to pursue a kind of thinking which was no longer “metaphysical.”
The Importance Of Human Existence In Heidegger’s Philosophy
In Heidegger’s philosophy, the importance of human existence is paramount. He believed that human beings are unique in their ability to question their own existence and seek truth, which allows them to live an authentic life. For Heidegger, the human subject had to be reconceived as “being-in-the-world,” a concept that represented the opposite of the Cartesian “thing that thinks.” This means that humans are not just minds capable of representing the world to themselves, but rather they are Dasein, a term that literally means “being there.”
Dasein is the locus of being and the place where entities “show themselves” as what they are. Instead of being sealed off within a specially designed compartment within a human being, the functions that have been misdescribed as “mental” now become the defining characteristics of human existence. This unitary treatment of human being represents a genuine alternative to both the body-cum-soul conception of human being and to the straightforward identification of human beings with their bodies.
Heidegger believed that understanding what it means to be human is a necessary step in all understanding. Human existence is unique in its temporality, and time finds its meaning in death. From a finite or mortal vantage, time is understood only in relation to our mortality. Dasein occupies itself with present tasks required by goals it has projected on the future. Thus, Heidegger concluded that Dasein’s fundamental characteristic is temporality.
Heidegger’s Concept Of Time And Temporality
Heidegger’s concept of time and temporality is a central theme in his philosophy. He believed that time is not just a linear sequence of events, but rather a process with three dimensions – past, present, and future – that form a unity. For Heidegger, we are time. Temporality is a fundamental aspect of human existence, and it is the ultimate meaning of being-in-the-world and care.
Heidegger referred to temporality as “ecstatically” oriented toward its own possibilities. This means that we actively make sense of things in the world and do not passively experience them. He also believed that the anticipation of death is the ultimate source of meaning of temporality. In other words, our awareness of our mortality gives us a sense of urgency to make the most of our time and actualize our possibilities.
Heidegger’s concept of historicity further emphasizes the importance of time in human existence. He believed that Dasein always acts in time as part of a larger social and historical collectivity, possessing a heritage on which it must act. Historicity means making a decision about how to actualize important elements of a collective past. Thus, history is not a passive force devoid of intentionality but rather a project that humans consciously undertake in order to respond to their collective past for the sake of their future.
The Role Of Authenticity In Heidegger’s Philosophy
Authenticity plays a central role in Heidegger’s philosophy. He believed that living an authentic life is essential for achieving a sense of fulfillment and purpose. Heidegger argued that authenticity involves accepting one’s mortality and taking responsibility for one’s actions. He saw inauthenticity as a failure to live up to one’s potential, a lack of courage to face the truth of one’s existence.
For Heidegger, authenticity requires self-reflection and a willingness to confront one’s own limitations. It involves being true to oneself and striving to become the best version of oneself. He believed that people should explore all possibilities in life, experiment with different ways of being, and take risks. He also emphasized the importance of perseverance, integrity, clear-sightedness, flexibility, and openness as virtues necessary for living an authentic life.
Heidegger recognized that living authentically can be challenging and even anxiety-inducing. However, he believed that this anxiety is the price we pay for living an authentic life. In his view, anxiety is not something to be avoided but rather embraced as a natural part of the human experience.
Heidegger’s Influence On Contemporary Philosophy And Beyond
Heidegger’s influence on contemporary philosophy and beyond is undeniable, despite the controversy surrounding his affiliation with the Nazi Party. He is widely regarded as one of the most original and important thinkers of the 20th century, having contributed significantly to fields such as phenomenology, existentialism, hermeneutics, political theory, psychology, and theology.
In particular, Heidegger’s critique of traditional metaphysics and his opposition to positivism and technological world domination have been embraced by leading theorists of postmodernity. Derrida, Foucault, and Lyotard are among those who have been influenced by Heidegger’s thinking on the nature of being and the dangers of technological control.
Heidegger’s emphasis on language as the vehicle through which the question of being can be unfolded has also had a lasting impact on philosophy and literary theory. His exegesis of historical texts, especially of the Presocratics, has inspired new approaches to understanding ancient philosophy and its relevance to contemporary thought.
Furthermore, Heidegger’s focus on temporality and historicality has had a significant impact on fields such as history, anthropology, and sociology. The idea that our understanding of the world is shaped by our historical and cultural context has become a central tenet in these disciplines.
Overall, Heidegger’s influence on contemporary philosophy and beyond can be seen in the ongoing debates about the nature of being, the role of technology in modern life, and the importance of considering historical and cultural context in our understanding of the world. Despite the controversies surrounding his personal beliefs and actions, his contributions to philosophy continue to shape intellectual discourse today.
