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The Being of Beings in Heidegger's Sein Und Zeit

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The Being of Beings in Heidegger's Sein Und Zeit THE BEING OF BEINGS IN HEIDEGGER’S SEIN UND ZEIT I. Introduction In this essay, I intend to focus my attention on the kinds of beings discussed in Heidegger’s Sein und Zeit, and the modes of their Being without engaging in a consideration of the genetic relations between particular beings. I will place special emphasis on the differences between the particular beings, and in a similar way between the modes of their Being. I do not deny, however, that the former set of differences (between the kinds of beings) can be reduced in some way to the latter type of differences (i.e. between the modes of Being of beings). I will develop my reflections as a person whose major interest is the philosophy of natural sciences, especially the philosophy of physics, astronomy and cosmology, and therefore a person who is not interested mainly in existence (Dasein) and its Being but in nature and its Being. Accordingly, this is not the existential and ontological viewpoint of Heidegger but a view which Heidegger would probably call a (purely) ontic view or approach. Moreover, I believe that the reflections presented in Sein und Zeit are of great interest also to those who do not concentrate on humans but who deal with the world of nature and technology partly created by humans and which surrounds them, and who approach this world from the perspective of natural scientists. I also think that such a starting point for my reflections is in some respect justified by the fact that – unlike Heidegger– I shall not begin from the Being of beings but from the beings themselves. II. Kinds of Beings in Sein und Zeit Heidegger’s ontology, a proposed fundamental ontology of human beings (that is, an existential analytics of Dasein), was intended as a general ontology which – unlike the ontology of Jaspers, which is consciously and entirely concentrated upon the analysis of human existence – would not confine itself to the ontology of human Being. For the latter, human existence is only a starting point, whereas the goal is the Being of all beings, and therefore being as a whole. 418 Part Six: Some Problems of the Theory of Reality In the last section (§83) of Sein und Zeit Heidegger writes: “The seemingly clear difference between the Being of an existing Dasein and the Being of a being other than Dasein (presence for example) is merely a point of departure for ontological problems and not something that would satisfy philosophy” (Heidegger, p. 609). Although Heidegger in his work did not arrive at the “idea” of Being in general, and likewise, at the “idea” of universal being, “on his way” he outlined the kinds of Being and beings which could compose such “ideas.” The point of departure for Heidegger – and I should think for existentialism in general – is the discrimination between Human being (Dasein) and non-human being (Natur). Human being, as primordially and authentically historical, is also called history, and the non-human being is called nature. In non-human being, the being of things present-at-hand (real), and the being of things ready-to-hand (tools) are distinguished. That which is (in the broad sense of this word) can “exist” in three manners: existiere (Dasein), be ready-at-hand (Zuhandensein), (equipment/das Zuhandene), or be present-at-hand (things/das Vorhandene). Human being (Dasein) is an entity that is ontologically distinguished both in the sense that – as our own being – it is to us the only being that is entirely concrete, and through the fact that certain characteristics of other beings and their modes of Being (e.g. temporality and historicality) are derivative of the characteristics (existentials/die Existenzialen) of Dasein and its mode of Being. Moreover, compared to Dasein, not only ideas but also tools and things are abstracts. What are some of other features of Human being? The third feature of Human being is the fact that it is the being of creatures who are conscious and always have some attitude towards their own existence. They are distinguished by consciousness of their existence and understanding of their Being. I constitute a being which is in its substance different from the being of all things, because I am able to say about myself: I am, states Heidegger. The essence of Dasein is its existence, i.e. Being through various manners of “taking up” one’s Being. The fourth feature of Human being is the fact that it is the being of entities full of care about their Being and, to a certain extent, making decisions about it. Humans – being “thrown into life” – indeed have no influence on their births and coming to existence but they can either accept or condemn this existence. The fifth distinguishing feature of Human being is that it is not an isolated being but a being existing-in-the-world, connected with the world, which means (1) connected with other people, and (2) connected with things, particularly with things ready-to-hand, that is tools. The sixth distinguishing feature of Human being is that humans not only exist-in-the-world but also know it, hence are conscious not only of their own Being but also of the Being of others (i.e. the Being of other .
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