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Authentic Dasein As Pathway to Heideggerianism As a Political Philosophy - a Political Vibration of Being and Time Thomas Akpen

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Authentic Dasein As Pathway to Heideggerianism As a Political Philosophy - a Political Vibration of Being and Time Thomas Akpen Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Summer 1-1-2006 Authentic Dasein as Pathway to Heideggerianism as a Political Philosophy - a Political Vibration of Being and Time Thomas Akpen Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Akpen, T. (2006). Authentic Dasein as Pathway to Heideggerianism as a Political Philosophy - a Political Vibration of Being and Time (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/6 This Worldwide Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AUTHENTIC DASEIN AS PATHWAY TO HEIDEGGERIANISM AS A POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY – A POLITICAL VIBRATION OF BEING AND TIME A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY MCANULTY COLLEGE AND GRADUATE SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY THOMAS TARGUMA AKPEN, C.S.SP. MAY 2006 Name: Thomas Targuma Akpen, C.s.sp. Title: Authentic Dasein as Pathway to Heideggerianism as a Political Philosophy – A Political Vibration of Being and Time Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Date: May 2006 Approved __________________________________________________ Director: Wilhelm S. Wurzer, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy Approved __________________________________________________ Reader: James Swindal, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy Approved __________________________________________________ Reader: George Yancy, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Philosophy Approved __________________________________________________ James Swindal, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair Department of Philosophy Approved __________________________________________________ Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D., Professor and Dean The McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts 2 2006 AKPEN, THOMAS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3 ABSTRACT In the history of Western philosophy, Martin Heidegger is the only philosopher after Plato and Aristotle to have seriously investigated the question of being. Instead of dwelling on particulars as previous philosophers did, Heidegger probes the question of being by investigating the being of the investigator of being. This being is Dasein, understood as human existence. Dasein is not just a thinking thing (res cogitans) or a political animal (politicus animalus), but essentially a being-in-the-world. Dasein has two modes of existence in its being-in-the-world – inauthentic existence and authentic existence. To exist inauthentically is to reject the clarion call of conscience to own up the guilt that characterizes the being of the human being. To acknowledge the self-insufficiency that is the lot of every Dasein plunges Dasein into its authentic mode of existence. Therefore, to exist authentically is to be resolute, decisive, or to use Friedrich Nietzsche’s terminology, it is to will radically in Dasein’s being-in-the-world-with-others. Willing radically is not utopian, it is demonstrated in the political process when the individual delegates another to represent him in the community of selves for the construction of a State that enhances, not only the disclosure of the meaning of being, but also the being of the investigator of being. It is this iv kind of exposition of Heidegger’s ontology that marks the epiphany of the political vibration of Heidegger’s Being and Time. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The achievement of a work of this magnitude presupposes the inspiration, support, and encouragement of others. This work was inspired by my moderator, Dr. Wilhelm S. Wurzer. It was Dr. Wurzer’s exposition of Heidegger that sparked off my interest in this research topic. I thank him for inspiring and guiding this research project. I thank Dr. James Swindal for taking the time to be one of the readers of this project. I am profoundly grateful to Dr. George Yancy, not only for agreeing to be one of the readers of this dissertation, but also for his useful suggestions in the course of my research. I am especially grateful to the provincial administration of Holy Ghost Fathers, Nigeria, for supporting my interest in philosophy. I thank Bishop Robert Banks and Bishop David Zubik for accepting me in the catholic diocese of Green Bay and providing me with the environment conducive for this project. I thank the members of Ss. Peter and Paul Parish, Hortonville, for their support. I remain grateful to the Rev. Gregory Smith and members of Good Shepherd Parish, Chilton, for their years of love, hospitality, and care during my years of research. I thank my long time friends, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Pachter for their understanding and support. I thank Mr. and Mrs. Ken Weber and Dr. Helen Scieszka for reading and correcting this research. I vi remain grateful to the family of Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Iye for their support and love. I am very grateful to my mother, Mrs. Juliana Ahiinyo Akpen for her unfading love and support all these years. I remain grateful to all my brothers and sisters for standing by me all these years. I thank all who made this project what it is. I thank you all from the depth of my heart. vii THIS WORK IS DEDICATED TO MY LATE FATHER PETER DOHOL AKPEN viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………….........vi DEDICATION……………………………………………………………viii CHAPTER ONE………………………………………………………..…..1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………….1 A CASE STATEMENT……………………………………………………..1 SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF STUDY…………………………………........2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE........……………………………..4 HYPOTHESIS……………………………………………………………..21 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY……………………………………………...26 CHAPTER TWO…………………………………………………….........27 TOWARDS A PHILOSOPHY OF BEING – A HISTORICAL EXPOSITION……………………………………………………………..27 THE MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY……………………………………...27 THE PRE-SOCRATICS…………………………………………………...29 HERACLITUS……………………………………………………………..29 PARMENIDES……………………………………………………….........32 SOCRATES AND PLATO………………………………………………...37 ARISTOTLE……………………………………………………………….43 BETWEEN DESCARTES, KANT, AND HUSSERL: THE UNIQUENESS OF HEIDEGGER………………………………………....49 i) DESCARTES………………………………………………………….49 ii) IMMANUEL KANT…………………………………………………..54 iii) HUSSERL……………………………………………………………..64 iv) THE UNIQUNENESS OF HEIDEGGER…………………………….68 CHAPTER THREE………………………………………………………70 HEIDEGGER ON BEING……………………………………………….70 THE MEANING OF BEING………………………………………………70 ix BEING, BEINGS, AND DASEIN.……………………………………….. 78 i) BEING AND BEINGS…………………………………………...........78 ii) DASEIN………………………………………………………………..82 THE TRIUNE STRUCTURE OF BEING-IN……………………………..92 INAUTHENTIC DASEIN………………………………………………..113 AUTHENTIC DASEIN…………………………………………………..120 AUTHENTICITY AND INAUTHENCITY AS OWNED AND DISOWNED EXISTENCE………………………………………...128 CHAPTER FOUR……………………………………………………….135 THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF AUTHENTIC DASEIN.….135 THE HISTORICITY OF DASEIN.………………………………………135 THE POLITICS OF HISTORY…………………………………………..139 BEING-WITH AS THE REALM OF POLITICS………………………..148 THE POLITICS OF AUTHENTIC DASEIN.…………………………....154 i) CONSCIENCE AND HEIDEGGER’S SOCIAL WORLD………….169 ii) A POLITICAL CATEGORIZATION OF AUTHENTIC DASEIN....175 CHAPTER FIVE………………………………………………………...181 A VISION OF HEIDEGGER’S POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY………181 HEIDEGGER’S POLITICAL HERITAGE………………………………181 THE EMBRACE OF DEMOCRACY……………………………………193 THE STATE………………………………………………………………207 FREEDOM AND POWER……………………………………………….218 AUTHORITY…………………………………………………………….221 LEADERSHIP……………………………………………………………228 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION………………………………………234 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………...239 x CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 A Case Statement. There is considerable consensus of opinion in philosophical circles that Plato and Aristotle are philosophers that seriously investigated the question of being. In his investigation of being, Plato had located being in higher and lower realms. In his theory of forms, Plato contends that higher being is spiritual, it is the most perfect and unchangeable of which all lower beings, beings subject to change are only their instantiations (Phaedo 65d ff and 100c ff). Hence for Plato, being is highly hierachicalized. In his investigation of being, Aristotle, on the other hand, seeks the understanding of being qua being (Metaphysics 25a). His rigorous consideration of being leads to the conclusion that though we can talk about primary and secondary senses of being, and being in actuality and being in potentiality, what is essential to all is that being is what “is”. After Plato and Aristotle, Martin Heidegger is said to be the only philosopher to have accorded the question of being a very profound attention. He did not seek to investigate being under a certain aspect; he did not seek to place being in higher and lower realms; he sought to unveil being and restore the mystery of the word “is” which had been long concealed (aletia) by philosophers. To concentrate on beings instead of being is to 1 conceal the meaning of being. It may be explained that some philosophers indicate the former with “being” while the latter is indicated with “Being.” Heidegger did not make such a distinction. He expressed “being” or “Being” with the same term, being. This expression will be adopted in our project. The effort of Heidegger was to unconceal being by way of a particular being, Dasein. His effort to unveil being by means of Dasein (human existence) has earned him prominence
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