Why Evil?

Idealistic Studies 25 (1):51-67 (1995)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In mid 1930's, Heidegger recognized that thinking must relinquish its claim to self-guidance in its hermeneutical mode in order to regather its impetus through an encounter with what is presumably antithetical to it, namely, the “systematic philosophy” of a figure like Schelling. By entering into this tension, it becomes possible to dislodge more fertile ways of speaking ; the opportunity arises to juxtapose apparently incongruous forms of discourse. These are as divergent as that aimed at in addressing the etymology of the word “being,” or that involved in the exposition of the character of evil which is found in Schelling's Of Human Freedom. The linkage of these two forms of discourse allows for a reformulation of the question of being, whose hallmark lies in redirecting thought through the issuance of an attunement rather than through the self-guidance of hermeneutics. Schelling's question as to the enigmatic character of evil and the question of being do not even remotely seem to share the same kind of lexicon. The purpose of this paper is to show how the rekindling of the concern for evil as it arises in Heidegger's 1936 lectures on Schelling poses a special challenge; for it involves inscribing within Heidegger's discourse a set of assymetrical meanings to express the basic motifs of his thought. Such assymetry resounds with a special attunement by calling forth the tragedy of human being's imperfect kinship with the Divine, of our enduring the tension of a greater conflict as the counterpole of darkness against which to illuminate the essence of human freedom in a new way. The prospect of finding an index to correlate disparate terms proves far more difficult in this case than with Heidegger's dialogue with other thinkers like Kant and Nietzsche where he links more symmetrical terms such as temporal finitude/sensibilized reason or resolve/will to power.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,593

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Nur Geistiges ist Schrecklich.William Vaughan - 1996 - Journal of Philosophical Research 21:231-260.
The Dialectic of Human Freedom.Frank Schalow - 1994 - Philosophy and Theology 8 (3):213-230.
Otherwise than Nothing.Drew M. Dalton - 2009 - Philosophy and Theology 21 (1-2):105-128.
A Philosophical Dialogue between Heidegger and Schelling.Lore HÜhn - 2014 - Comparative and Continental Philosophy 6 (1):16-34.
Nur Geistiges ist Schrecklich.William Vaughan - 1996 - Journal of Philosophical Research 21:231-260.
Mitwissenschaft.Jason Wirth - 2004 - Epoché: A Journal for the History of Philosophy 8 (2):215-232.

Analytics

Added to PP
2011-01-09

Downloads
53 (#268,373)

6 months
2 (#668,348)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Frank Schalow
University of New Orleans

Citations of this work

A Philosophical Dialogue between Heidegger and Schelling.Lore HÜhn - 2014 - Comparative and Continental Philosophy 6 (1):16-34.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references