Thesis advisor: John Sallis / This dissertation gathers four studies on related topics in the phenomenological tradition and Martin Heidegger's philosophy in particular. Methodologically, it addresses the question as to how a reading of a philosophical text can offer access to the phenomena relevant for philosophy. Beginning with a reading of one his latest lectures on the end of philosophy and the the potential of phenomenology (The End of Philosophy and the Task of Thinking), the first chapter questions Heidegger's dismissal of the notion of ground in this lecture, arguing that an innovative reading of a passage from Contributions to Philosophy can address a problem left unresolved in the lecutre. Instead of reducing it to its alleged function in metaphysics, I propose to explore the semantic and descriptive potential of `ground' and related notions outside of the ontological and metaphysical discourse. The second chapter inquires about the particular position of On the Origin of the Work of Art in the context of Heidegger's theory of truth. In contrast to an interpretation highlighting the function of art in the so-called history of Being, the artwork essay is shown to display a specific form of transcendental argument aiming to disclose the `clearing' as the condition of possibility of phenomena. Particular attention is paid to Heidegger's discussion of untruth as concealment because the distinction between a denial (Versagen) and a restraint (Verstellen) of truth elaborates an important difference in discussing phenomena of negativity. The third chapter explores the notion of `earth.' The attempt is made to distinguish four phenomenal traits specific to earth by not only relying on Heidegger's discussion and the examples he gives in On the Origin of the Work of Art but by also connecting these to discourses on earth both in one of Husserl's later manuscripts (Foundational Investigations of the Phenomenological Origin of the Spatiality of Nature) and the philosophy of nature in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. The discussion is oriented by an interpretation of two sculptures by Andy Goldsworthy; I reflect both on their methodological role for describing phenomena associated with earth and on the status of Heidegger's own examples. The chapter aims in particular to establish an explanatory priority of phenomene associated with earth over the lived body, showing that experiences featuring the phenomenal trat sof earth are irreducible to eminenty sensible experiences as experiences for my bodily being. The fourth chapter takes its departure from the German word Erklüftung that Heidegger mentions in Contributions of Philosophy. In discussing its particular position in Heidegger's discourse on both projection (Entwurf) and ground (Grund) in Being and Time, Contributions to Philosophy, The Origin of the Work of Art and Art and Space, I show why Erklüftung, although it can be established as the description of a specific phenomenon by referring to other occurrences of the word (such as in Goethe's writings on geology), I maintain that it is not apt for the purpose to which Heidegger submits the word. The failure of Erklüftung thus makes an important contributions to the understanding of Heidegger's discourse on ground. The conclusion offers a reading of the second half of Heidegger's last lecture course The Principle of Reason (Der Satz vom Grund) in order to situate the four studies vis-à-vis Heidegger's late comprehensive treatment of ground. His attempt to determine the meaning of ground and its equivalents in Latin ratio and Greek logos is distinguished from the regress to the beginning of the history of Being that the lecture develops. In contrast to this ontological way to determine ground, I defend the view that the semantic explorations and descriptions Heidegger gives offer more adequate access to the phenomena of ground. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BOSTON/oai:dlib.bc.edu:bc-ir_104078 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Keiling, Tobias |
| Publisher | Boston College |
| Source Sets | Boston College |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, thesis |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. |
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