*Dasein* and the Gerundialisation of Philosophy Part 2.
Heidegger writes:
“As surely as we can never comprehend absolutely the ensemble of beings in
themselves we certainly do find ourselves stationed in the midst of beings
that are revealed somehow as a whole. In the end an essential distinction
prevails between comprehending the ensemble of beings in themselves and finding
oneself in the midst of beings as a whole. The former is impossible in principle.
”
HEIDEGGER: What Is Metaphysics? (1929*)
“Being as a whole reveals itself as “nature,”[physis,] which here does not
yet mean a particular sphere of beings but rather beings as such as a whole.”
HEIDDEGGER: The essence of truth 1943.
Heidegger, [he who makes constant references to “the Being of all beings”]
states:
“The comprehension of the ensemble of beings in themselves is impossible.”
That means that *Being* which reveals itself in nature to human beings, is
impossible to comprehend as an ensemble of beings in themselves. It is
humanly impossible for the whole of nature to be comprehended as an ensemble of
beings in themselves either to individual human beings, or to *Dasein*.
Accordingly the process of instantiating *Being* as a whole in the procedural
phenomenon of *Object-Givenness* is impossible and fails, for in order for
comprehension and understanding to take place, a being must be observed, perceived and
understood.
No individual human being nor the universalistic gerundial mannikin
*Dasein,* which represents humanity, could ever visit, observe, perceive and
understand or *be-there* in the whole of the jungles and forests, seas and mountains
of earth's nature. Therefore it follows that *Being as a Whole* can never be
understood, and thereby instantiated, and consequently cannot be spoken of as
something described with the proper noun *Being* in the expression “Being as
a Whole.” No human has, can, or will ever be able to see and understand it,
and thereby instantiate it in the process of *object-givenness*. As
Heidegger claims, it is the process of “object givenness* which involves the
*Uncovering of Being* in the act of understanding and perceiving a being. It
therefore follows that the notion of the possibility of *Being* in the sense of a
unity which can be revealed by object-givenness and labelled with the proper
name *Being* is impossible and thereby fails as a nonsense.
“In the Being of beings the nihilation of the nothing occurs.” ibid.
HEIDEGGER: What Is Metaphysics? (1929*)
If then a comprehension of the ensemble of beings in themselves is
impossible, the comprehension of the ensemble of beings and the *Being of beings*
cannot be effected as Heidegger claims. So too there cannot be any occurrence of
the nihilation of the nothing, which is also nullified, if there is no
comprehension and understanding of beings. In which case then, the nothing cannot
be nihilated, and must remain as nothing – which [if it cannot be nihilated]
remains in the *ontological in-tray* as an *unnihilated nothing.* [grin]
>From Sheenan:
1. *Being* for Heidegger is always the *Being* of entities, but he
interprets such *Being* not as the raw existence of entities, but as their meaningful
disclosure to human experience. Whereas entities may exist apart from whether
or not human beings exist, *Being* as the meaningful givenness of entities
never is apart from human experience. *Being* is the meaning of entities.
2. For Aristotle the primary and proper locus of truth (disclosure) is not
human being at all but entities themselves. In Metaphysics IX, 10, a text which
Heidegger defends as authentic, Aristotle says that the most proper
characteristic of entities insofar as they are encountered by us is their
self-disclosure in their whatness and howness (eidos). The being of entities is their
appearing, and humans are revelatory in a secondary sense, i.e., insofar as we
take things just as they reveal themselves to be
(1051 b 6-9).
Heidegger's Philosophy of Mind
Thomas Sheehan
In Contemporary Philosophy: A New Survey
ed. G. Floistad
Vol. IV, Philsoophy of Mind
The Hague: Nijhoff, 1984, 287-318
“The impression arises that this definition of the essence of truth is
independent of the interpretation of the essence of the *Being of all beings*,
which always includes a corresponding interpretation of the essence of man as
the bearer and executor of intellectus.
HEIDEGGER: What Is Metaphysics? (1929*)
Again if Heidegger in agreeing with Aristotle confirms that the primary and
proper locus of truth (disclosure) is not human being at all but entities
themselves, and humans are revelatory in a secondary sense, not only can the
*Whole of Being* not be instantiated, but no truthful statements could be made
concerning the *Being of beings,* or the beings engaged in any instantiating,
for the truth [disclosure] would not be able to be disclosed. *Being* for
Heidegger is always the being of entities and their meaningful disclosure to
human experience.
But if human beings are not ubiquitously scattered over each square meter of
the universe and therefore cannot experience the meaningful disclosure to
human experience of such entities that may exist in those regions, they cannot
number amongst the whole of Being and the notion of the *Whole of Being*
fails and becomes a nonsense.
Furthermore, if as Heidegger claims “entities may exist apart from whether
or not human beings exist, being as the meaningful givenness of entities never
is apart from human experience,* then as human experience cannot be apart
from the meaningful givenness of entities, human beings must be living on the
Planet Pluto and someone [it may even be Bin Laden] be huddled in the craters
on the dark side of the moon. [Someone better inform NASA. – the Ruskies may
have got there first.]
Philosophy? Don’t make me laugh!
To be continued.
Regards,
Jud
Personal Website:
_http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/index.htm_
(http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/index.htm)
E-mail Discussion List:
nominalism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
--- StripMime Warning -- MIME attachments removed ---
This message may have contained attachments which were removed.
Sorry, we do not allow attachments on this list.
--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
multipart/alternative
text/plain (text body -- kept)
text/html
---
--- from list heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---