Sitting by Dr. Talmage has made Heidegger bearable. At least in class. Wading in the reading is another thing.

The thing that bothers me about this stuff is that my brain wants to categorize it as religion. I know he says he's trying to steer away from religion, but it's almost as if he's really trying to go above religion. At least in my opinion, you can't go above religion- you just find more religion.

To speak of our "being" is not a new thing to speak of- he's right that the poets know about it. But is it also possible that everyone knows about it. It is in fact, the thing everyone can grasp rather than the parts. After all, I will never be smart enough to understand the Essent of iphone- not all of its wires and lights and metal. but i do understand its being. In fact, I am apart of the process that gives it being. I can't tell you what an iphone IS but I can tell you why it is. I can tell you its purpose and it's not possible for me to think of all its fine machinery and text someone at the same time.

And though I think Heidegger is right in that he understands this idea of purpose, I think he corners himself when he attempts to do this without religion. Existentialism, as far as I am understanding it, seems to be the most depressing system of beliefs I know. It seems that once you have outlined Being, will, purpose and even a "turning" back to the light, if you ignore religion you are left to yourself to find out how and what this means. That is where I see Heidegger stop, right before the every day man would turn to God. He sees a complicated and wonderful humanity and insists than neither Science nor God will give him a "why".

Maybe I don't understand this stuff at all. If someone else does, please explain it?

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