PHILOSOPHY - Heidegger

Martin Heidegger: The Difficult German Philosopher

Martin Heidegger is considered the most difficult German philosopher to understand in history.
His unique book "Being and Time" is unparalleled in its complexity, filled with compound German words like "Seinsvergessenheit", "Bodenständigkeit", and "Wesensverfassung."
Despite the difficult terminology, Heidegger communicates simple truths, sometimes truths that anyone can say.
Heidegger explores the meaning of our lives, the crisis of our era, and the path to freedom and salvation.

"Behind these difficult terms, Heidegger tells us simple truths, sometimes ones that anyone can say"

Heidegger's Background and Disposition

Heidegger was born and raised as a German peasant, who loved picking mushrooms, strolling in agricultural lands, and going to bed early.
Heidegger had a strong dislike for television, airplanes, pop music, and canned food.
At one stage of his life, Heidegger supported Hitler but later recognized the errors of his politics.
Heidegger spent most of his life in a cabin in the forest, far away from modern civilization.

"Heidegger saw modern humanity suffering from various spiritual illnesses"

The First Problem: Forgetting that We Are Alive

Although we theoretically know that we are alive, we rarely contemplate the mystery of our existence.
Heidegger refers to this mystery as "Das Sein" or "Being".
In fleeting moments, such as during the night, sickness, or solitary walks, we begin to pay attention to the astonishing strangeness of everything and question why things exist the way they do.

"We know, of course, from the theoretical point of view that we are alive, but we are not daily gripped by the mystery"

The Second Problem: Forgetting Our Connection to Others

Most of the time, our daily tasks and preoccupations make us self-centered, treating others and nature as means rather than valuable entities.
However, spending time in nature and the countryside can help us gain a broader perspective.
Through experiences in nature, we may start to develop a sense of unity with all existence, realizing that everything is interconnected.

"We forget that all beings are interconnected"

The Third Problem: Forgetting to Live for Ourselves

Much of our actions and behaviors are not free but imposed upon us by social constructs, biases, and necessities.
Heidegger describes this as being "thrown" into a specific social environment that limits our authenticity.
To overcome this, Heidegger suggests understanding the limitations of our psychological and social behaviors and then transcending them to live a more authentic life.

"We need to overcome this 'thrownness' and rise above it towards a more universal perspective"

Heidegger's Perspective on Failure

According to Heidegger, we often fail miserably in our task and tend to surrender to a shallow social existence which he calls "their own spirit," as opposed to our own spirit.
We get caught up in the idle talk ('Das Gerede') that comes from newspapers and television, especially in big cities that Heidegger disliked spending time in.
Focusing on our imminent death can help us withdraw from "their own spirit" and realize that others won't save us from nothingness. This realization may lead us to stop living for others and stop worrying excessively about what others think.
We may then stop investing the majority of our time and energy into impressing people who never truly loved us.

"Focusing on our imminent death, we will only then realize that others won't save us from nothingness."

Heidegger's Advice on Living

In a lecture in 1961, Heidegger was asked what we should do with our lives. He responded succinctly: "We should spend more time near graves."
Although the values and meanings in Heidegger's philosophy are not entirely clear, his words are still astonishingly wise and, oddly enough, helpful despite the unfamiliar language he uses.
We already know most of what he is saying; we just need reminders and encouragement to start taking it seriously, which is what his unique writing style accomplishes.

"We already know most of what he is saying; we just need reminders and encouragement to start taking it seriously."

Overcoming Displacement and Embracing Being

We need to be more aware every day of nothingness ('Das Nichts') in order to escape from idle talk ('Das Gerede') and achieve authentic existence ('Eigentlichkeit').
Heidegger suggests that a small help may come from spending time near graves, which helps us escape the clutches of idle talk.
This escape allows us to embrace our authentic being, overcome our sense of displacement ('Geworfenheit'), and liberate ourselves from idle chatter.

"We owe it to ourselves to escape from the clutches of idle talk (Das Gerede) to reach our authentic existence (Eigentlichkeit) with a little help from these graves."