The things we care about is a central focus in Heidegger’s philosophy. There are three fundamental terms for the care structure of Dasein: facticity, existentiality and fallenness. 1. Facticity Facticity is a part of what he calls “Geworfenheit” or “thrownness”. We are all thrown or projected into the world, arbitrarily born into a given family,Continue reading “Facticity, Existentiality, Fallenness – Heidegger”
Category Archives: Existentialism
Ready-to-hand and present-at-hand – Heidegger
Two of Heidegger’s most basic neologisms, present-at-hand and ready-to-hand, are used to describe various attitudes toward things in the world. We are constantly surrounded by “equipment” as stuff we can work with in a “context of significance”. For Heidegger, most of the time we are involved in the world in an ordinary way or “ready-to-hand.”Continue reading “Ready-to-hand and present-at-hand – Heidegger”
Dasein and Being-in-the-world – Heidegger
The fundamental concept of Being and Time (Heidegger’s magnum opus) is the idea of Da-sein or “being-there”, which simply means existence, it is the experience of the human being. The world is full of beings, but human beings are the only ones who care about what it means to be themselves. “A human being isContinue reading “Dasein and Being-in-the-world – Heidegger”
Introduction to Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger is known as one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. Born in Germany in 1889, he is best known for his work in existentialism and phenomenology. Heidegger was influenced at an early age by the Greeks. Aristotle’s Metaphysics which talks about what it is that unites all possible modes ofContinue reading “Introduction to Martin Heidegger”
Finding Meaning in the Pursuit of Meaning
After studying philosophy and psychology by myself for a little less than a year. I’d like to share with you my views on life. If I were to gave myself labels for my ever-changing and evolving philosophy of life, at this moment I’d consider myself as a mix of the following philosophies: 1. Absurdism FindingContinue reading “Finding Meaning in the Pursuit of Meaning”
Kierkegaard and Nietzsche – Giants of Existentialism
Kierkegaard and Nietzsche provided the basic foundations of 19th century Existentialism. It is a philosophy that emphasises the existence of the individual as a free and responsible agent determining their own development. We all suffer and enjoy the same condition, the human condition, and have done so since time immemorial. Kierkegaard is commonly regarded asContinue reading “Kierkegaard and Nietzsche – Giants of Existentialism”
Lovecraftian Cosmicism – Existentialism, Absurdism and Nihilism
Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American writer of weird and horror fiction, who is known for his creation of what became the Cthulhu Mythos and the creator of the literary philosophy known as Cosmicism, emphasising the cosmic horror of the unknown. “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongestContinue reading “Lovecraftian Cosmicism – Existentialism, Absurdism and Nihilism”
Book Review: The Sickness unto Death – Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard wrote one of the most remarkable theistic existentialist works of the 19th century, The Sickness unto Death is famed for the depth and acuity of its psychological insights. Writing under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus, Kierkegaard explores the concept of ‘despair’. Despair is a deeper expression for anxiety which is a not-wanting-to-be-oneself. It is aContinue reading “Book Review: The Sickness unto Death – Kierkegaard”
Book Review: Genealogy of Morals – Nietzsche
Nietzsche wrote On the Genealogy of Morals: A Polemic, in response to a book by his former friend Paul Rée, on the origins of morality. This book is among Nietzsche’s most sustained and cohesive works. In the first essay, titled “Good and Evil”, “Good and Bad”, Nietzsche sets up a contrast between what he callsContinue reading “Book Review: Genealogy of Morals – Nietzsche”
Dostoevsky’s Raskolnikov and Nietzsche’s Übermensch
The frequent mention of Nietzsche and Dostoevsky together is still topical for the very reason that both of them were among the acutest anatomists of our cultural, social and moral crisis, the symptoms of which were already so prominent at the turn of the nineteenth century. It was a flourishing period for the creative powersContinue reading “Dostoevsky’s Raskolnikov and Nietzsche’s Übermensch”