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Single Idea 15572

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 5. Existence-Essence ]

Full Idea

Dasein's Being-what-it-is (essentia) must….be conceived in terms of its Being (existentia).

Gist of Idea

Being what it is (essentia) must be conceived in terms of Being (existence)

Source

Martin Heidegger (Being and Time [1927], 67/42), quoted by Richard Polt - Heidegger: an introduction 3.§2

Book Ref

Polt,Richard: 'Heidegger: an introduction' [Routledge 2003], p.30


A Reaction

This seems to be the origin of Sartre's famous slogan 'existence before essence'. It seems to be a rebellion against Husserl's quest for essences.

Related Idea

Idea 15570 Phenomenology is the science of essences - necessary universal structures for art, representation etc. [Husserl, by Polt]


The 10 ideas with the same theme [natures as either malleable or fixed in character]:

Essence must be known before we discuss existence [Descartes]
For Kant, essence is mental and a mere idea, and existence is the senses and mere appearance [Kant, by Feuerbach]
Reason is just abstractions, so our essence needs a subjective 'leap of faith' [Kierkegaard, by Scruton]
Over huge periods of time human character would change endlessly [Nietzsche]
It is absurd to think you can change your own essence, like a garment [Nietzsche]
Being what it is (essentia) must be conceived in terms of Being (existence) [Heidegger]
'Existence precedes essence' means we have no pre-existing self, but create it through existence [Sartre, by Le Poidevin]
Existence before essence (or begin with the subjective) [Sartre]
Existentialism may transcend our nature, unlike eudaimonism [Graham]
Our 'existence' is how we create ourselves, unconstrained by any prior 'essence' [Aho]