You bring up an important point regarding the potential overwhelming nature of events, which can indeed seem to overpower individual existence. In the context of Heidegger's "Ereignis," it's important to balance this understanding with his philosophical intent.
1. **Fate and Overpowering Events**: Heidegger acknowledges the powerful influence of historical and natural events, which can indeed seem to dominate and shape individual existence. Events such as historical upheavals, natural disasters, or personal crises can have a profound impact on Dasein (human existence), often feeling overwhelming or overpowering.
2. **Authenticity and Resoluteness**: Despite the overpowering nature of such events, Heidegger also emphasizes the importance of authenticity and resoluteness. For Heidegger, Dasein has the potential to respond to these events authentically, by embracing its own being-towards-death and making meaningful choices in the face of such overwhelming forces. This is part of what it means to come into one's own in the process of Ereignis.
3. **Mutual Appropriation Revisited**: While natural or historical events can overpower individual beings, the concept of mutual appropriation in Ereignis does not negate this reality. Instead, it highlights that through these events, both Being and Dasein find their expression. The events that seem to crush the individual also bring forth new possibilities for understanding and being.
4. **Existential Challenge**: The overpowering nature of events poses an existential challenge to Dasein. Heidegger's philosophy encourages confronting this challenge not by seeing oneself merely as a passive victim, but by engaging with the event in a way that reveals deeper truths about existence and being.
In summary, while natural or historical events can indeed be overpowering, Heidegger's concept of Ereignis provides a framework for understanding these events as part of the dynamic interplay between Being and Dasein. This interplay includes the potential for authentic responses and deeper existential insights, even in the face of seemingly crushing events.
