I have found these particular passages from Heidegger (and the subsequent explanation of these passages in class) have proposed some interesting ideas about our existence. Particularly, Heidegger’s ideas about the modes in which das sein can be the they. The idea of distantiality is essentially the fact that we compare and measure ourselves with others. As we do not want to appear too extreme or different we suppress this distantiality and the more we suppress it the more average we become. This idea of averaging, which causes the leveling down of society, makes us become more and more like each other. The leveling down of society is an especially frightening idea. To think that the bar is lower than it potentially could be is points to how much control the they has over us.
Social media, Wikipedia, google news, the list goes on. We are all, to steal a term from Nietzsche, slaves to the they. If I am making a false statement by saying that someone please correct me, but if I understand it correctly this is the way it sounds. The they is relieving just about everyone of responsibility and individuality. Without responsibility or individuality can Das Sein exhist. I, for one, do not believe it can. If we rely too heavily on the they we risk losing the Das Sein which is the one thing that differentiates us from every other animal on the planet.
Can we, as individuals, really exist as individuals if we all so frequently participate in the they? In my opinion, modern Western society has turned us into sheepish slaves of the they.
Your question proposes a paradox that we are both individuals and not individuals. I think Heidegger would not say we ever cease being Da-sein, rather we simply become inclined to reject our own selves, kind of in the same fashion one may reject meditative thinking.
ReplyDeleteI think that we can exist as individuals even if we participate in the "they." I agree with Eric, that we can't lose Da-sein because we, as humans, are Da-sein because we are beings which question the meaning of Being. We are Da-sein, so we can't lose it. I think that although we participate in the 'they,' which is Das Man, Da-sein must exist. I think they are dependent on each other. There cannot be sayings like "they say you should get 8 hours of sleep a night" without the existence of Da-sein (individuals) and vice-versa.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Heidegger's notion of the "they" can coexist with Da-Sein. The "they" does not necessarily strip us of our responsibility or individuality; it gives us the option of evading the responsibility that is tied to many decisions. We as individuals have a choice between the statements "They say that..." and "I believe that..." with the former relinquishing responsibility and the latter claiming it. An individual doesn't have to answer for what "they" say, but the individual does have to answer for (or claim responsibility for) what he or she believes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Anna said about us, as individuals, being able to make a decision as to whether or not we believe what "They say..." As much as we use the term, it does not mean that it necessarily applies directly to us. Da-Sein focuses on the individual, and by choosing our own beliefs based on what "They Say" we keep our individuality and maintain Da-Sein
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