The Relationship Between Three Existential Ideas from Heidegger’s Being and Time to the Life of Colleen, a Junior at Fairfield University
This essay highlights Martin Heidegger’s work and his ideas of “being-with,” “inauthentic Da-sein,” and “the they.” After explaining these existential ideas, the essay demonstrates the relationship between these ideas and the academic, athletic, and social life of Colleen, a junior at Fairfield University. The paper displays how significant these aspects are to her life, in the sense that these are aspects of her life she prioritizes and puts the most effort towards. Colleen tries authentically “being with” her friends and family and avoiding being an “inauthentic Da-sein” by not giving into the standards of “they they” although it is easier said than done. Finally, the essays portrays how the “average” everyday “chatter” of internet video, student gossip, and texting frequently disable Colleen to the level of what Heidegger calls being an “inauthentic” Da-sein in her academic, athletic, and social activities. …show more content…
Opposed to an authentic Da-sein who focuses on accomplishing all the opportunities it can in order to live an authentic life. Once an authentic Da-sein fulfills all its opportunities and is no longer truly living, Da-sein stops “being” and in essence have had an authentic death. Whereas, an inauthentic Da-sein who participates in “the they” was never “being” in the first place or in the same way as an authentic Da-sein. In Heidegger’s opinion, “Da-sein is constituted by disclosedness, that is, by attuned understanding. Authentic being-toward-death cannot evade its own most non relational possible or cover it over in this flight and reinterpret it for the common sense of the they” (328). The only guarantee in life is death, but the way one lives until then determines its
This essay highlights Martin Heidegger’s work and his ideas of “being-with,” “inauthentic Da-sein,” and “the they.” After explaining these existential ideas, the essay demonstrates the relationship between these ideas and the academic, athletic, and social life of Colleen, a junior at Fairfield University. The paper displays how significant these aspects are to her life, in the sense that these are aspects of her life she prioritizes and puts the most effort towards. Colleen tries authentically “being with” her friends and family and avoiding being an “inauthentic Da-sein” by not giving into the standards of “they they” although it is easier said than done. Finally, the essays portrays how the “average” everyday “chatter” of internet video, student gossip, and texting frequently disable Colleen to the level of what Heidegger calls being an “inauthentic” Da-sein in her academic, athletic, and social activities. …show more content…
Opposed to an authentic Da-sein who focuses on accomplishing all the opportunities it can in order to live an authentic life. Once an authentic Da-sein fulfills all its opportunities and is no longer truly living, Da-sein stops “being” and in essence have had an authentic death. Whereas, an inauthentic Da-sein who participates in “the they” was never “being” in the first place or in the same way as an authentic Da-sein. In Heidegger’s opinion, “Da-sein is constituted by disclosedness, that is, by attuned understanding. Authentic being-toward-death cannot evade its own most non relational possible or cover it over in this flight and reinterpret it for the common sense of the they” (328). The only guarantee in life is death, but the way one lives until then determines its