Notes on Being and Time - 1.I-II: Preparatory fundamental analysis of Dasein & Being-in-the-world (pp. 65-90, §§ 9-13) - Wednesday, 14 October 2015

1.I-II: Preparatory fundamental analysis of Dasein & 

Being-in-the-world in general as the basic state of Dasein (pp. 65-90, §§ 9-13)

Wednesday, 14 October 2015 (Notes by Birsen Dönmez)

Key concepts for the hermeneutic of Dasein

Heidegger begins his ‘Exposition of the Task of a Preparatory Analysis of Dasein’ (§9) by stating that we are in each case ourselves the ‘Being’(das Seiende  - “who does the being”) subject to analysis, the ‘being’ (das Sein) of which is in each case our own – “in each case myself” and “in each case mine” (Jemeinigkeit). Further key concepts are Eigentlichkeit und Uneigentlichkeit (authenticity and inauthenticity), Alltäglichkeit ("everydayness"), Durchschnittlichkeit (“averageness”), Sorge (care), and Erkennen (knowing).

Vorhandensein and Dasein

Heidegger writes: »The essence of Dasein lies in its existence.« (67) (Das »Wesen« des Daseins liegt in seiner Existenz. (42)) – thereby turning traditional ontology that concedes primacy to nature (essence) on its head. On that basis, he distinguishes Existenz (existence), denoting the mode of being of Dasein, from Vorhandensein (existential/“Being present-at-hand”) of a mere thing. The term Vorhandensein marks the clear distinction between Dasein and a thing. Whereas Dasein is characterised by various possible modes of being that can never be said to indicate properties ready to be classified. Consequently, Heidegger introduces the term Existenzialien (“existentialia”) referring to modes of Being as to be distinguished from classical ontological categories (see Aristotle and Kant). One of Dasein’s existentiale is the »In-der-Welt-sein« (‘Being-in-the world’). In light of Heidegger’s rejection of an application of these hierarchical categories to Dasein, it stands out that he denies any such judgement of value to the modes of Being (Existenzialien), i.e. in considering both authenticity and inauthenticity, as equally revelatory access points to the hermeneutic of Dasein. Heidegger's refusal to differentiate the modes of Being from the outset of his project lends a preliminary method to his inquiry: it is Dasein’s uncharacteristic everydayness that gives clues in their "averageness" (des Daseins Durchschnittlichkeit) to Dasein’s "positive phenomenal characteristics of Being". It is interesting that, for Heidegger, knowledge also denotes no more than such a mode of being - no doubt we will get to find out more about this in course of our reading.

»In-der-Welt-sein« as Cartesian critique

With Descartes the relationship between the human and the external world became central to Western philosophy. But whereas traditional epistemology proceeded from the philosopher as a detached observer of objects in the world Heidegger shifts the focus in SZ to active engagement as characteristic of human existence in the world - a world participated in and inhabited by Dasein - 'Being-there' as the human way of existence as being implicated in the world, or 'Being-in-the-world'. Sorge (care), is a term Heidegger introduces to further elucidate the relationship of Dasein with the world and does here not refer to anxiety or worry, which would also be meanings of Sorge in German. Its task is to give a point of access to a further analysis of the 'in' in 'Being-in-the-world'.

Page numbers in these notes refer to those on the margin of Martin Heidegger, Being and Time. Translated by John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson. (Oxford: Blackwell, 1962) and its reprints. These page numbers on the margin correspond to the German original published by Max Niemeyer Verlag (Tübingen) and Band 2 of the Heidegger Gesamtausgabe published by Vittorio Klostermann Verlag (Frankfurt). Being and Time is abbreviated as SZ in these notes.