Heidegger’s Philosophy of Being and Nature
The Wonder of Existence
The ancient Greeks recognized that philosophy originates from wonder. We marvel at the existence of things. Heidegger questioned why there is something rather than nothing. What causes things to be? This leads to inquiries about Being. Some attribute it to God, but then the question arises: Who is God? Or who created God? Heidegger suggests that our everyday interaction with things is characterized by “having” them (e.g., rain necessitates an umbrella). However, when we are surprised by things, we pause, and our usual active relationship with passive objects shifts. In moments of wonder, our role becomes more receptive.
Philosophy, Science, and Religion
Philosophy diverges from science. When confronted with a natural marvel, science seeks to understand its secrets through active investigation, often manipulating nature. In contrast, a sense of wonder can lead to aesthetic contemplation, similar to religious reverence. Religion, ideally, does not seek to dominate God, just as we do not seek to control music. Heidegger positions philosophy closer to music and religion than science due to its receptive, rather than active, nature. Philosophy, as an intellectual pursuit, strives to transcend rational understanding.
Being and Time
According to Heidegger, the question of Being cannot be answered scientifically. Science investigates the forces of nature, while reason transforms everything into objects. However, we seek something akin to God or music. Heidegger’s Being and Time explores Being as something experienced throughout our lives. He argues that our relationship with nature is one of usury, treating it as a resource to be endlessly exploited. This reduces nature to a collection of commodities. This usurious perspective views humans as beings whose purpose is to exploit nature. If we objectify nature, we risk objectifying other humans, leading to pervasive objectification and conflict.
Technology and Serenity
Heidegger criticizes science and technology, arguing that science hinders thinking and promotes productivity above all else. He contrasts usury (driven by productivity) with serenity, advocating for a more respectful relationship with both people and nature. Instead of acting like scientists, we should cultivate a sense of wonder and contemplate nature. Heidegger’s metaphysics delves into abstract questions like “What is Being?” He suggests that Being can be understood as nature, encompassing not only what exists but also the process of creation. Being is what allows things to be. Without understanding Being, we cannot understand entities.
Social Criticism and Dehumanization
Heidegger’s anthropological study of the relationship between humans and nature leads to social critique. He concludes that humanity has become dehumanized. Thinking about Being requires lived experience. His philosophy is not purely intellectual but aims to transcend logic. Thinking is a secondary activity. Our lives unfold within a natural environment, and our choices—whether to conquer or harmonize with nature—shape our existence. Heidegger saw Nazism as a potential path to rediscovering lost values absent in consumer society. He can be considered a reactionary thinker, both politically and in his advocacy for environmental harmony. He disseminated these ideas through his work, sparking social criticism.
Alienation and Unilateral Thinking
Alienation from nature leads to alienation between people, fueling conflict. Heidegger criticizes “unilateral thinking” resulting from this disconnect, proposing “meditative thinking” as an alternative. He is not a straightforward thinker, often leaving the reader to interpret his meaning. He poses questions without providing answers, seeking correspondence rather than confrontation. Heidegger offers a perspective that challenges the technological domination of nature, emphasizing the importance of our poetic and aesthetic capacities for connecting with nature. This is what he terms serenity.
The Mystery of Being and the Third Way
Being remains mysterious, yet it is the foundation of existence. Heidegger contrasts the farmer, whose connection with the land yields fruit, with the assembly line worker, who becomes a replaceable cog in the production machine. Philosophy and science initially emerged together, seeking rational explanations for phenomena. However, over time, faith in reason has diminished. Heidegger argues that science is blind, focusing on means rather than ends (e.g., atomic energy can create bombs, but to what purpose?). He proposes a “third way” between reason and irrationality. Pure reason cannot fully guide human life, as our tastes and feelings lie beyond its domain. Nor should we surrender control to impulses and emotions. Heidegger suggests poetry as this third way, combining feeling with rational structure.