Thinking about Dasein

So I got off work...

2006-09-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

.... and I picked up a collection of Heidegger essays at the library. Most of my previous, short and quick readings of Heidegger were online, but that gives me eyestrain over an extended period. Why/How do people read e-Books? Why risk your expensive laptop or PDA to a read a book, when or if you can pick up paperback version. Thank goodness I don't have to work on computers all the time.

With that in mind, Heidegger's Question Concerning Technology peaked my interest. Reading slowly and carefully; on the first page he says, "Technology is not equivalent to the essence of technology ...we shall never experience our relationship to the essence of technology so long as we merely represent and pursue the technological, put up with it, or evade it. Everywhere we remain unfree and chained to technology."

On the first reading, it seems interesting, as that today, computers, TVs, technology pervade our lives, even more so than in the early 20th century. But Heidegger is notorious for using words and phrases differently than the usual meaning, so I'll read on.

"The current conception of technology, according to which it is a means and a human activity, can therefore be called the instrumental and anthropological definition of technology."

Ok, yes we use computers to acheive some end, like printing reports, playing games, watching porn... It's anthropolical because its part of our society, and our way of being. Go on...

"Everything depends on our manipulating technology in the right way as a means. We will, get technology intelligently in hand. We will master it."

I wonder what Heidegger would've said about the Terminator Movies... LOL
Now Heidegger goes on to discuss the Greek conceptions of cause, causa materialis, causa formalis, causa finalis, causa efficiens. Or in plain sense meanings, what a thing is made of, what is the form of a thing, the end product, and the process. Heidegger gives a good review of the Greek conceptions of causes, that I've read about in Aristotle and other pre-Socratics.

After going through Heidegger's conception of Greek causes, I'll end here, as I am going to start cooking..... or maybe just microwave something, I'm too damn lazy!

P.S. Please forgive my newbie reading of Heidegger!

Before I start...

2006-09-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

Before I start, I probably should start with Aristotle, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Husserl.

Aristotle, along with Plato and Socrates, are the finest trio of the Greek philosophers. Their works have shaped the Western tradition through our human history.

Kierkegaard is my favorite philosopher, and by far the greatest of our times. Kierkegaard's philosophical style is subtle, poetic, majestic, and greatness. His philosophy is provocative, cogent, reasonable, and sound, once you take into account his pseudonyms. His spirit upbuilds, enlightens, and edifies. I cannot say anything negative about this great Dane.

Nietzsche is an ok philosopher. He doesn't have insight and genius as the great Dane does, and I lament that the Nazis have used his philosophy for their ends. Heck, I'm even going to read Heidegger, a one time Nazi. Nietzsche is only partly to blame for Nazism. Nevertheless, his literature is arrogant and rude, his style brutish and cruel, and he ought to be respected for this.

Husserl is a fine philosopher of the phenomenological tradition. I haven't read much Husserl, but I plan to read Husserl while reading Heidegger.

Cheers, Dasein Today

Hello Blog!

2006-09-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

This is your typical Hello Blog entry. So...

Hello Blog!

I recently had a chance to read some of Martin Heidegger's works. I can't say I understand it, but the parts I do understand are from two of my favorite philosophers, Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche. Ok, these two are pretty much lay philosophers, philosophers for the common man. Heidegger seems pretty dense and hardcore, probably for academic philosophers. But since Kierkegaard and Nietzsche are in here, I'll give Heidegger a chance!

- Dasein Today