THE FORGETFULNESS OF being is our failure to recognize, respond to, and experience gratitude for being as that which grants us a place in a world of entities.
Why ‘forgetfulness of being’, according to Heidegger? (ChatGPT, 2024-7-24)
Martin Heidegger, a prominent German philosopher, introduced the concept of the "forgetfulness of being" (Seinsvergessenheit) in his existential and phenomenological inquiries. This concept is crucial in understanding his critique of Western philosophy and modernity. Here’s why "forgetfulness of being" is significant according to Heidegger:
1. **Historical Oversight**: Heidegger argued that Western philosophy, since Plato and Aristotle, has been preoccupied with the study of beings (entities) rather than being itself. This focus on ontic (concerning entities) rather than ontological (concerning being) questions has led to a neglect or forgetfulness of the fundamental question of being.
2. **Question of Being**: Heidegger’s seminal work, "Being and Time," centers on reawakening the question of being (Seinsfrage). He believed that understanding being is the most profound philosophical inquiry, and yet it has been overshadowed by other concerns in the history of philosophy.
3. **Technological Thinking**: Heidegger critiqued modern technological thinking, which he saw as a manifestation of the forgetfulness of being. In his view, technology reduces the world to a collection of resources to be utilized, ignoring the deeper, more essential understanding of being. This instrumental thinking devalues and obscures the true nature of existence.
4. **Authentic Existence**: Forgetfulness of being, according to Heidegger, leads to inauthentic existence. He posited that individuals often live inauthentically, conforming to societal norms and distractions, rather than confronting the fundamental nature of their own being. Recalling the question of being encourages a more authentic mode of existence.
5. **Reconnecting with Being**: Heidegger believed that reconnecting with the question of being involves a different mode of thinking, which he called "meditative thinking." This form of thinking is contemplative and open to the mystery of being, contrasting with the calculative thinking that dominates modern technological society.
6. **Language and Poetry**: Heidegger saw language, especially poetry, as a means to recover the sense of being. He argued that poetic language has the power to reveal the world and being in ways that everyday language cannot. Poets and thinkers, in his view, play a crucial role in recalling the question of being.
In summary, Heidegger’s concept of the "forgetfulness of being" critiques the historical and philosophical neglect of the fundamental question of being. This forgetfulness, he argued, has profound implications for how we live and understand the world, urging a return to a more authentic engagement with existence.
