Heidegger: A New Age Arises, Disaster Ticks Closer
I am not familiar with Heidegger's personal beliefs, but this whole essay sounded very New Agey (just made up that term). The Being sounds like the encompassing spirit that connects the universe together in New Age beliefs. The only way to connect to this New Age spirit is by searching inside yourself and opening yourself up. Sound familiar? In order to know the Open, one must become unshielded and turn inward to the Open. In addition, there is a great complexity and vastness inside of individuals that is begging to be explored. It is clear in the essay that poets are the only ones who have truly understood this and it is their job to guide the rest of us to Being. It is the job of everyone else to listen to the poets and become willing to follow them (btw the whole part of will vs willing confused me, so can we discuss that in class, please?). Perhaps Heidegger is not New Age, but I can see some resemblances.
Also, on the bottom of page 94 where he talks about the world's clock drawing towards midnight, I was reminded of the doomsday clock. For those who are unfamiliar, the doomsday clock is a measurement of how close humanity is to a global catastrophe. When the clock reaches midnight, some kind of apocalyptic disaster is supposed to befall mankind. The measurement is taken based on country relations and the potential mankind has to destroy each other. For example, in 1952, scientists determined the clock was merely 2 minutes away from midnight because the United States and the Soviet Union were testing hydrogen bombs in the middle of a cold war. The lowest it has been is 17 minutes away from midnight in 1991. For those curious, the clock was estimated to be two and a half minutes away from midnight in 2017.
P.S. I commented on Tobias and Will's posts.
Also, on the bottom of page 94 where he talks about the world's clock drawing towards midnight, I was reminded of the doomsday clock. For those who are unfamiliar, the doomsday clock is a measurement of how close humanity is to a global catastrophe. When the clock reaches midnight, some kind of apocalyptic disaster is supposed to befall mankind. The measurement is taken based on country relations and the potential mankind has to destroy each other. For example, in 1952, scientists determined the clock was merely 2 minutes away from midnight because the United States and the Soviet Union were testing hydrogen bombs in the middle of a cold war. The lowest it has been is 17 minutes away from midnight in 1991. For those curious, the clock was estimated to be two and a half minutes away from midnight in 2017.
P.S. I commented on Tobias and Will's posts.
I love the concept of the doomsday clock (as we talked about earlier today in the Honor's lounge). I am interested to see if the time will go up or down with the events that will happen this coming year. I agree with you about the New Agey feel and don’t worry about the not understanding the will and the willing part, because I have no idea what it means either.
ReplyDeleteI was actually reading more about some of the New Age way of thinking. It seems a common thread does tend to have such a "Being" that is pretty impersonal and rather vague in its description. Sounds very Buddhist in some ways when you spoke about the "searching inside yourself".
ReplyDeleteThe doomsday clock is one of my favorite things to read/explore. Apocalyptic stuff is a big interest of mine. And I can completely see how you would think Heidegger is "new agey". I don't know too terribly much about him either other than by name, but I definitely got new age vibes from this.
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