Heidegger Temporality
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It is appropriate that with this, our final lecture, we have reached a peculiar 'turning point' in the text a point at which the text begins a return to the entire analysis; a point, if you will, in which the text begins anew. In a sense, Being & Time begins again and in such a way, indeed, as to show several senses of 'beginning.' And so this last lecture will begin at this beginning and attempt to arrive at some understanding of the sense of repetition (Wiedenholung) that is at work here. Overview: (I) A discussion of method (II) Temporality as the ontological meaning of Care (III) A repetition of the Dasein Analytic from the perspective of Time The problem of history and the appropriate 'placing' of the problem of Being. **** Section 63 (I) Method In this section Heidegger returns to the problem of method and explicitly brings the results of the Dasein Analytic into contact with the method of the Dasein analytic such a 'dialectic' of method and discovery, of that which sets out a path and that which is found upon the path, exemplifies the peculiarity of Heidegger's' method which 'listens into' its own discoveries and tries to maintain an attunement to 'the things themselves.' We began, in the 2nd introduction, to describe the hermeneutical character of phenomenology. The character of phenomenology can be expressed by the structure of the Hermeneutical Circle. This hermeneutical circle can be expressed on two levels: (1) first, that the very structure of the Understanding involves a forestructure which constantly projects upon that which is found. Dasein is essentially interpretive (one always see something 'as' something); (2) based upon this is the way Dasein moves throughout its life. I want to develop more closely this latter sense of 'the circle'. Heidegger stated, at the very beginning, that Dasein is ontically closest to itself yet ontologically furthest away. The meaning of this methodological statement can now be seen through the results of the analysis of Care. (i) Put formally, the hermenuetical circle is the 'relation' of Dasein's ontic, everyday level, and the ontological level that grounds and makes possible the ontic level. GRAPH (ii) But we must note, as a result of the analysis, that Dasein maintains itself in a certain kind to understanding, Dasein comports itself through a certain kind of vague intelligibility (Dasein knows how... to live). Heidegger call this understanding of what it means to be "preontological understanding." GRAPH In this sense, Dasein has the capability of developing its preontological understanding into an ontological understanding. It has the ability, if you will, to become 'clearer' about its existence to gain an understanding of fundamental structures of its Being, in other words. (iii) But the analysis to care has also disclosed an inherent problem in Dasein's attempt to develop an understanding of itself this inherent problem is located in the structural moment of Falling which expresses Dasein's tendency to interpret itself in terms of that which is not. The nature of falling is essentially a kind of concealing and, because of this, an appropriate understanding of the Being of Dasein involves a kind of 'wresting from concealment' ("Existential analysis has the character of doing violence" 311/359).This 'wresting from concealment' is one reason for the need of a hermeneutical analysis which must interpret experience rather than merely 'behold it'.
description
Heidegger Temporality Being and Time
Transcript of Heidegger Temporality
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Itisappropriatethatwiththis,ourfinallecture,wehavereachedapeculiar'turningpoint'inthetextapointatwhichthetextbeginsareturntotheentireanalysisapoint,ifyouwill,inwhichthetextbeginsanew.Inasense,Being&Timebeginsagainandinsuchaway,indeed,astoshowseveralsensesof'beginning.'Andsothislastlecturewillbeginatthisbeginningandattempttoarriveatsomeunderstandingofthesenseofrepetition(Wiedenholung)thatisatworkhere.
Overview:
(I)Adiscussionofmethod
(II)TemporalityastheontologicalmeaningofCare
(III)ArepetitionoftheDaseinAnalyticfromtheperspectiveofTime
Theproblemofhistoryandtheappropriate'placing'oftheproblemofBeing.
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Section63
(I)Method
InthissectionHeideggerreturnstotheproblemofmethodandexplicitlybringstheresultsoftheDaseinAnalyticintocontactwiththemethodoftheDaseinanalyticsucha'dialectic'ofmethodanddiscovery,ofthatwhichsetsoutapathandthatwhichisfounduponthepath,exemplifiesthepeculiarityofHeidegger's'methodwhich'listensinto'itsowndiscoveriesandtriestomaintainanattunementto'thethingsthemselves.'
Webegan,inthe2ndintroduction,todescribethehermeneuticalcharacterofphenomenology.ThecharacterofphenomenologycanbeexpressedbythestructureoftheHermeneuticalCircle.
Thishermeneuticalcirclecanbeexpressedontwolevels:
(1)first,thattheverystructureoftheUnderstandinginvolvesaforestructurewhichconstantlyprojectsuponthatwhichisfound.Daseinisessentiallyinterpretive(onealwaysseesomething'as'something)
(2)baseduponthisisthewayDaseinmovesthroughoutitslife.
Iwanttodevelopmorecloselythislattersenseof'thecircle'.Heideggerstated,attheverybeginning,thatDaseinisonticallyclosesttoitselfyetontologicallyfurthestaway.ThemeaningofthismethodologicalstatementcannowbeseenthroughtheresultsoftheanalysisofCare.
(i)Putformally,thehermenueticalcircleisthe'relation'ofDasein'sontic,everydaylevel,andtheontologicallevelthatgroundsandmakespossibletheonticlevel.
GRAPH
(ii)Butwemustnote,asaresultoftheanalysis,thatDaseinmaintainsitselfinacertainkindtounderstanding,Daseincomportsitselfthroughacertainkindofvagueintelligibility(Daseinknowshow...tolive).Heideggercallthisunderstandingofwhatitmeanstobe"preontologicalunderstanding."
GRAPH
Inthissense,Daseinhasthecapabilityofdevelopingitspreontologicalunderstandingintoanontologicalunderstanding.Ithastheability,ifyouwill,tobecome'clearer'aboutitsexistencetogainanunderstandingoffundamentalstructuresofitsBeing,inotherwords.
(iii)ButtheanalysistocarehasalsodisclosedaninherentprobleminDasein'sattempttodevelopanunderstandingofitselfthisinherentproblemislocatedinthestructuralmomentofFallingwhichexpressesDasein'stendencytointerpretitselfintermsofthatwhichisnot.Thenatureoffallingisessentiallyakindofconcealingand,becauseofthis,anappropriateunderstandingoftheBeingofDaseininvolvesakindof'wrestingfromconcealment'("Existentialanalysishasthecharacterofdoingviolence"311/359).This'wrestingfromconcealment'isonereasonfortheneedofahermeneuticalanalysiswhichmustinterpretexperienceratherthanmerely'beholdit'.
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Furthermore,theverysenseofthehermeneuticalcirclearisesfromtheveryBeingofDaseinitself.Dasein'sBeing'is'circularandsuchacirclemustbekeptinviewifoneistounderstandDasein.ThefullunderstandingoftheHermeneuticalCircleisthefollowing:Daseinmaintainsanunderstandingofitself(apreontologicalunderstanding),anunderstandingwhich,proximatelyandforthemostpart,maintainsitselfineverydayness.
Now,thisunderstandinghasthepossibilityofinterpretingitselfandinsuchawayastouncoverthegroundsforthepossibilityofeverydayexistence.(Themoodofanxiety,forinstance,breaksthroughconcealmentandallowsanauthenticunderstanding).ThehermeneuticalanalysisispreciselythisselfdevelopingoftheunderstandingtowardstheexistentialstructuresthatunderlietheeverydayonticexistenceofDasein.
Thefullexpressionofthehermeneuticalsituationwouldthenbesomethinglikethefollowing:
GRAPH
TheDaseinAnalyticbeganwithDasein'severydayBeingintheworldandinterpretedthisinsuchawayastouncovertheconditionsforthepossibilityofeverydayexistence:theconditionforthepossibilityofDasein'sonticcomportmentturnedouttobethestructureofCarewhichinturnexpressedforBeingofDasein.OurnexttaskwillbetoexhibittheunityoftheCarestructureandthiswillbe,byanticipation,Temporality.
(II)TemporalityastheontologicalmeaningofCare.
(A)Meaning(Sinn)
WearetospeakaboutthemeaningoftheBeingofDaseinintermsofTemporality.Temporalitywillconstitutethe'meaning'ofDasein.WhatismeantherebythisnotionofMeaning?WhatdoesHeidegger'mean'bymeaning?
ForHeidegger,themeaningofsomethingbecomesboundupwiththegroundforthepossibilityofsomethingandthis,inturn,signifiesthatmeaningisboundupwiththeBeingofsomething(Beingisa'transcendental').Thus,tosaythatXhasmeaningistosaythatXhasbecomeaccessibleinitsBeing(324/371)WearetogainaccesstotheBeingofDasein(andthisBeinghasbeenexhibitedasCare).Careitselfexhibitedthestructuralmomentsofexistentiality,facticityandfallenness.ButindescribingCareassuch,wehadnotfullyshownwhatmakesthesestructuralmomentsintoaunitywehadnotdisclosedthatwhichmakespossibletheunitynecessaryforthestructuralwholeofCare.
ThisisthemajortaskofDivisionsII(whichbeginswithsection65)itistouncoverthatwhich'makespossible'theunityoftheCarestructureand,assuch,themajortaskofDivisionIIistouncovertheontologicalmeaningoftheBeingofDasein.
(B)
(1)Heideggerbeginsbyunfoldingthetemporalstructuresofauthenticself(theanalysishere'stayswith'theauthenticmomentsoftheCarestructurewhileII4investigatesthe'temporalization'ofeverydayDasein).
(a)Whatmakesanticipatoryresolutenesspossible?
Thesenseof'anticipation'herecanbefoundintheGermanVorlaufen('torunahead').Vorlaufenisa'runningahead'towardsDeathasapossibility.Deathisnotamere'notyet'forDaseininanticipationitisbroughtbeforeDaseinasitsownmostpossibility:thisaspecthasthesenseofcomingtowardsitself(zukommen)NowwhatmakesthiskindofanticipationpossibleissimplythatDaseincan'cometowardsitself'inthismanner.Butthiscomingtoward(zukommen)is,forHeidegger,theprimordialphenomenonofthefuture(Zukenff)...[ckAnticipationismakepossibleforthefuture.]
(b)Authentic'beingguilty'manifeststhenegativityofDasein'sthrownness.Aresolute'takingup'ofthis'beingguilty'involvestakingoverone'sBeingasthrownie.,Daseindoesnotbringitselfintoits'there',butrather,Daseinhasalwaysalreadybeassignedtoa'world'Daseinalwaysalreadyhasbeenatakingoverofthisthrownnesswouldmeantobeasalwaysalreadyhavingbeen.
Thissenseofhavingbeen(Gewesenheit)isthesenseof'Past'itisexpresseddynamically(ie.,asreferencetothefuture)as"Iamashavingbeen"(Ichbingewesen).The'Past'isconstantly'takenup'byDasein'sfuturalprojectsitisneveramere'nolonger'.
(c)Thepresentismadetocometopassinthesenseofa'makingpresent(Gegenwartegens).Itis'born'ofthedynamicinterplayoffutureandpast.Thusthepresent,inthisauthenticmode,arisesoutofothermoments.Itisneveranisolated,
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discreet"now".
(2)Inconsequenceofthis,thephenomenonoftheauthenticselfshowsitselfashavingtheunityofafuturewhichmakespresentintheprocessofhavingbeen.
ThisunitywhichmakespossibletheauthenticselfofCareiscalledbyHeideggerTemporality(Zeitlichkeit).Assuch,temporalityisthemeaning(ie.,thegroundfortheunityandpossibility)ofauthenticCare.TimeisthemeaningoftheBeingofDasein.AndthisisthefirstindicationofhowtheBeingofDaseinisgroundedinTime,ofhowBeingandTimearebroughttogetherintheDaseinAnalytic.
(3)This'connectedness'betweenDaseinandTemporalitycanbefurtherseenbynotinghoweachmomentistheCarestructureresolvesitselfintoatemporalmoment:
Existentiality:'aheadofitself'futural(as'comingtowards')
Facticity:'beingalreadyin''past'(as'havingbeen')
Falling:'beingalongside'present(as'makingpresent)
Itisimportanttonotethatthisisnotamatterof'merecorrespondence,'forwehaveindicatedthatthetemporalstructuremakespossibletheunityoftheexistentialsitcandothisonlybecausetemporalityitselfisessentiallyaunity.
(4)FurthercommentsonTemporality
(a)Theessentialunityoftemporalityliesinitsecstaticalcharacter.Eachofthetemporalmomentshasthesenseof'standingout'inacertaindirectioneachdirectionbeginan'ecstasis'ofTime.Andtheessenceoftemporalityconsistsinthetemporalizingunityoftheecstases.Timeisdynamicand'selfblending'throughandthroughitsprimordialsenseisnottobeconceivedofassomekindofcontainerinwhichthingsoccur'in'timewiththemovementofaseriesof'nows',eachoneofwhichoccurringbetweena'notyet'anda'nolonger'thisisaderivativesenseoftimewhichmissestheecstaticalunityofafuturewhichmakespresentintheprocessofhavingbeen.
(b)Onemustnotefurther,however,thatwithintheecstaticalunityoftimethereliesapriorityofthefuture.
(5)ItisfromthisrevaluationoftheCarestructureintermsofTemporalitythatHeideggerbeginsa'repetition'oftheDaseinAnalytic.ForiftemporalityhasindeedmanifesteditselfasthemeaningoftheBeingofDaseinthenitmustbeshowntounderlieDaseininbothitsauthenticandinauthenticmodesofexistenzandwiththistheverystructureofBeingintheworld.
Itispreciselyforthisreasonthatthetextbegins'anew'.
ThisisthetaskofII
IIIArepetitionoftheDaseinAnalyticfromtheperspectiveofTime.
(A)Therepetitionhasthefollowingorder:
(1)Thetemporalityofdisclosednessingeneral
(a)TemporalityofUnderstanding
(b)TemporalityofBefindlichkeit
(c)TemporalityofFalling
(d)Temporalityofdiscourse
Theanalysisthengoesontoshowhowthesestructures(asthebasicstructureswhichconstitutetheBeingofthe'Da'ofDasein)inturntemporalizeBeingintheworld.
(2)ThetemporalityofBeingintheworld
(a)circumspectiveconcern
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(b)themodificationofreadinesstohandintopresenceathand
(c)theworldhoodoftheworldandDasein'sspatiality
(d)Dasein'severydayness
(Note:itisfromthisfinalanalysisofDasein'severydaynessthatHeideggerdevelopstheproblemofHistoryII5andtheeverydayunderstandingoftimeII6).
TogainanappreciationoftheseanalysesIwanttolookbrieflyatHeidegger'sanalysisofthetemporalityofVerstehen(section68a)
(B)TheTemporalityofVerstechen
Wemustnote,inanticipation,thatanytemporalmomentbecauseof(i)itsecstaticalstructureand(ii)itsgroundingofDasein'sExistenzandwiththisthemodesofauthenticityandinauthenticity,willspiraloutintoamultiplicityofstructures.
Letusseehowthisoccurs:
(1)Asaprojectionuponone'spotentialityofbeingtheunderstandingas'aheadofitself'hasbeenappropriatelycharacterizedasprimarilyfutural.Butwehaveseenthattheunderstandingcandevelopitselfindifferent'direction'(towardsthatwhichitis'not',towardthatwhichitis).
Accordingly,therewillbetwomodesofitsdevelopment:
(a)itsauthenticmodeisexpressedbyanticipationinwhichDasein'letsitselfcometowarditselfasisownmostpotentialityforBeing.'
(b)'inauthentic'understanding,ontheotherhand,projectsitselfuponitsconcernsie.,itseverydaybusinessandthisisexpressedbyawaiting.Daseinrelatesitselfthroughpossibilitiesbutitdoessothroughthemeditationofthings(ofbeingswithintheworld).Daseincomestowardsitself(isfutural)butintermsofthethingsofits'concern'Dasein's'future'isthisconcernedwiththesethingsandwhethertheywill'comeabout'or'fallapart'.
Note:Thoughtheunderstandingisprimarilyfutural,thefutureisanecstasisofTimeandassuchitmusttemporalizeitselfinunitywiththeotherecstases.
Accordingly,thetemporalityofunderstandingwillinvolvethemomentsofpresenceandhavingbeen.
(2)The'Present'
(a)Totheanticipationwhichgoeswithresoluteness,therebelongsa'present'inwhichDasein'ssituation(itsexistentialdoublenullity)isdisclosed.Heideggercallsthismomentofawarenesstheauthenticpresentwhichheterms,withreferencetoKierkegaard,derAugenblick.
(b)Theinauthenticpresentisa'makingpresent'whichfindsitsexpressionintheturblanceofDasein'sFalling(theexpression"WhatshouldIdonow?"andthenafterthat"etc.givesthesenseofthis'present':itisDasein'sconstantlyleapingafter'new'possibilities)
(3)The'Past'
(a)Dasein'sauthentic'comingtowardsoneself'inanticipatoryresolutenessisatthesametimeacomingbacktoone'sownmostself:itisa'takingover'ofwhatone'alreadyis',atakingholdofone'sselfagain.DaseincantakeoverthatBeingwhichitalreadyisand,whena'homecoming'hasoccurred,onecanspeakofacertainkindofrepetition(Wiederholen)
(b)TheinauthentichavingbeeninvolvesthemannerinwhichDaseincanloseitselfinitseverydayconcerns.Nowsuchalosingofoneselfcaninvolvethecharacterofacertainkindofforgetfulness(vergessenheit)
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NotethetermsthatwereusedwithreferencetoDasein'sunderstandingitselfinreferencetoits'Past'.Inanticipating,Dasein
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bringsitselfagainforthintoitsBeing.Sucha'bringingforthagain'Heideggercharacterizedbyrepetition.Inauthentichavingbeenhasthepossibilityofconcealingone'sBeingthroughakindofforgetfulnessofBeing.
WiththiswehavearrivedatthestructuralmomentinDaseinitself(viz.,themodalityof'Past'intheunderstanding)whichallowsthespecifictaskofSeinandZeittotakeitsinitialpointofdeparture.Forthis'relation'betweenrepetitionandforgetfulnesswasinfactthevery'play'whichprovokedtheverybeginningof"BeingandTime."WhathadoccurredtothequestionofBeingwasthatithadfallenintoakindofforgetfulnessandwhatwasneededwasarepetitionofthequestionofBeing(section1).ThetreatisehasthuscircledbacktoadeeperunderstandingofitsownBeginning.
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Copyright:RobertCavalierDepartmentofPhilosophy/CarnegieMellonUniversity
