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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Back into the Maelstrom

I feel like Heidegger has flung us into a maelstrom of confusion. Who are we and how are we here and how do we know we are here? All of these seem like questions that are swirling around in the circle of the vortex…doing nothing but destroying things (like sanity). The only conclusion I have drawn is by comparing Heidegger to Descartes (which may be a major breach of philosophical ethics, but hey- this is postmodernism- what are rules?). It seems like Heidegger is saying that your existence comes from genetics and your being/personality comes from social construction. Therefore, to find the authentic self you have to break down the social construction in which you are immersed. The preconceived notions of reality and labels given by culture have to be stripped away. Then, from the foundation of Being, from the edge of the abyss of nothingness, you can begin to rebuild on the true nature of who you know yourself to be. In this way, the authentic self is realized. The only way the self can be realized is through the parameters of language, because that is the only way we have of measuring reality. So, those are my thoughts, and I’m aware that I still sound a bit confused. Oh! I think I just saw the wicked witch of the west fly by on her broomstick! We are not in Kansas anymore, Toto! (random comment, please excuse me- we are in a maelstrom/tornado)
P.S. Joy This Defines vs That Defines

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