Monday, May 07, 2012

Arisaka, Y., 1996. Spatiality, Temporality and the problem of Foundation in Being and Time

Image: chrisroll / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Part of the Journal Summary series.

In a nutshell
Using the now infamous section 70 of Being and Time (see previous posts) Arisaka attempts to show that Heidegger's later abandonment of temporality as the ground of spatiality is due to an internal tension already present in the work, rather than any external factors. She investigates various possible interpretations of the grounding and finds that none are successful - the hierarchical relationship Heidegger reaches for is denied by the structure of his own philosophy. The problem itself is not even clear to Heidegger because of a lack of concept of Dasein as embodied.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Sefler, G.F., 1973. Heidegger's Philosophy of Space

Image: Victor Habbick / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Part of the Journal Summary series

In a nutshell
Sefler argues that Heidegger doesn’t actually disagree with the Cartesian view of space, but rather adds to it. He says that Heidegger’s concept of spatiality is consistent throughout his work, from the early to the later period. Also consistent is the priority of temporality over spatiality. This priority, in addition, has no philosophical basis. He believes that Heidegger’s ideas demand equiprimordiality, and that his statement of temporality’s priority is due to nothing more than the influence of Kant and Husserl biasing him in this direction.

Monday, April 09, 2012

Casey, E.S., 2001. Taking a Glance at the Environment: Prolegomena to an Ethics of the Environment

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net


Part of the Journal Summary series.

In a nutshell
Casey looks to apply Levinasian ethics to the environment, finding an equivalent to the face in ‘landscapes’ - a collection of surfaces capable of communicating disorder. The glance is the opening of the ethical relation, and a glance at an environment which is against the natural order compels one to respond ethically.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Baiasu, R., 2007. Being and Time and the Problem of Space

Part of the Journal Summary series.

In a nutshell
Baiasu aims to recover spatiality from within the framework of Being and Time. She argues that a basic spatiality is disclosed in anxiety, and constitutes region as such. This basic spatiality, she says, is a condition for the possibility of being-in-the-world. It is equiprimordial, and co-disclosed, with the world and with temporality. She also goes on to argue that it is necessary for authentic disclosedness.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Vallega, A.A., 1999. Heidegger and the Issue of Space: Thinking on Exilic Grounds

Part of the Book Summary series


In a nutshell
Vallega analyses the role of spatiality in Being and Time, finding it to be necessarily exiled from being, due to Heidegger’s insistence on a transcendental horizon based purely on temporality. He goes into great detail to defend this view, and discusses whether it can be resolved, and whether Heidegger does so in his later works.

Summary
Whilst Heidegger says that spatiality is essential to the question of being, Vallega believes that it “appears as a constant aporetic element in his discourse, which ultimately proves to be insurmountable” (181). His focus on temporality, says Vallega, leaves no room for spatiality, and this problem is so deeply embedded within his thought that there is no way past it.

Thursday, March 08, 2012

Arisaka, 1995. On Heidegger's theory of space: A critique of Dreyfus


Part of the Journal Summary series

In a nutshell
Dreyfus claims that Heidegger (incorrectly) prioritises private space over public, and that the latter cannot be derived from the former. Arisaka argues that the distinction is a false one, and sets about demonstrating why, by showing that each one actually contains aspects of the other.

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Carman, T., 2008. Merleau-Ponty

Part of the Book Summary series.

Summary
Merleau-Ponty uses the term being-in-the-world, originally coined by Heidegger, to describe the human situation. However he differs from him in one very important way. He believed, as many have argued, that Heidegger's work in Being and Time had a missing element - embodiment. Merleau-Ponty argues in the Phenomenology of Perception that perception and embodiment are constitutive elements of our being-in-the-world.

Friday, March 02, 2012

Wollan, G., 2003. Heidegger's philosophy of space and place


Part of the Journal Summary series

In a nutshell
Geography journal article using Heidegger to provide an alternative to objective spatiality, and allow culture to affect fundamentally what is perceived to be an inert world. Also the other way round - social theory can be understood spatially - basically the two can be brought together in the primordial way we experience the world. Not too critical of Heidegger, but illustrates the positive steps made by him.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Twitter Tips

A supplement to the Twitter and Philosophy post. Where that was an introductory post, this will serve as an ongoing list of lesser known tips that will hopefully enrich your Twitter experience. Some might be slightly obscure, but they're all ones I've found to be personally useful.

General Tips
I wanted to write a short section on how to maximise the benefit you get from the time you put in. Often it is the necessary time that dissuades people from using services like Twitter, because it can seem that you need to put a disproportionate amount in compared to what you receive in return. The key to getting the most out of Twitter is following the right people, and getting the right people following you, and the best way to achieve both of these is to genuinely engage with the Twitterverse.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Cerbone, D., 2001. Heidegger and Dasein’s “Bodily Nature”: What is the Hidden Problematic?

Part of the Journal Summary series

In a nutshell
Arguing from the other side of the papers we have seen so far, Cerbone argues that embodiment cannot be a part of Dasein's essence, and that Heidegger is right to avoid discussing it within this context. He also defends Heidegger's belief that while man has world, animals are poor in world, and a stone is worldless.