Lecture 3 - Heidegger

Question 1

Heideggers phenomenology:

Answer 1

the discourse (Rede) that lets the thing show itself for what it is

Question 2

Essence of technology is not technological:

Answer 2

• Technology is not a neutral means
• Ambivalent relation to us
• Two definitions of technology: means to an end(instrumental), human activity (anthropological)
• Those definitions align with techne quite a bit

Question 3

Problematizing instrumental reason:

Answer 3

• Instrumentalism means causality
• Causality means separating consequence and cause
• This separation is a problem for heidegger, other things can also be a cause so its not correct to separate these so strictly
• We might think we understand causality, but in reality we don’t know why we see these things as either a cause or an effect  therefore we won’t understand instrumentality
• (base of this could lie in phenomenology, we don’t even see the same phenomenon twice)

Question 4

4 causes

Answer 4

• Causa materialis: matter
• Causa formalis: shape into which material enters
• Causa finalis: end to which object is determined as to its form and matter
• Causa efficiens: which brings about the effect
• Technology as a means is described by these causes

Question 5

How does Heidegger see causality?

Answer 5

Heidegger reconstructs causality into responsibility. The thing that exists owes something to the aitia.

Question 6

How do cause and effect make something appear

Answer 6

• Poiesis Plato: every occasion where nonpresent  present is poeisis, eg bringing-forth. Physis is also a poeisis
• Physis: the bursting forward of things in themselves
• Poiesis = bringing-forth not in itself but in another, by the craftsman/artisan, link between poeisis and techne because techne is the reason through which poiesis is obtained

Question 7

First reification of technology:

Answer 7

• No mere means, but a way of revealing
• With heidegger, techne belongs to poiesis
• Techne is as a revealing and not a manufacturing, this makes it a bringing-forth

Question 8

Kind of revealing in modern technology

Answer 8

And yet, the revealing that holds sway throughout modern technology does not unfold into a bringing forth in the sense of poiesis . The revealing that rules in modern technology is a challenging [herausfordern], which puts to nature the unreasonable demand that it supply energy which can be extracted and stored as such.

Question 9

What is the problem with challenging?

Answer 9

Challenging is a revealing which never ends: there is no truly unconcealed point of aletheia

Question 10

What is standing reserve?

Answer 10

Standing reserve = the way in which everything presences that is brought about by the revealing that challenges, whatever is standing reserve no longer stands over us as object
 Human is also who drives technology forward, therefore he takes part in ordering as way of revealing, and therefore is challenged more originally

Question 11

Human nature and unconcealment

Answer 11

• Man is called-forth by unconcealment, meaning he is interpellated by aletheia, if he gives himself over

Question 12

Gestell/Enframing

Answer 12

challenging that gathers man into ordering upon the actual as standing-reserve, in this way man sees his Umwelt as instrumental (not merely supply because it is not about actual availability but about potential)
 Technology ≠ technological

Question 13

Relation between modern technology and science:

Answer 13

• Because the essence of modern technology lies in enframing, modern technology must apply exact physical science
• Through doing so, misconception arises that modern technology is applied physical science
• Physics as a pure theory is already kind of enframing: it sets nature up to exhibit itself as a coherence of forces (think instrumentality), it orders (!) its experiments to ask how nature reports itself when set up this way

Question 14

Turning/Geschick (destining)

Answer 14

• Man is already in realm of enframing, no subsequent relation is possible
• However, we can ask how we admit ourselves into that wherein enframing unfolds
• Geschick = sending that gathers, destining, starts man upon a way of revealing
• Therefore, poiesis is also a destining

Question 15

Danger of modern technology:

Answer 15

• Man himself become standing reserve
• Enframing conceals that revealing which, in the sense of poiesis, lets what presences (entbergen) come forth into appearance

Question 16

Danger and saving power:

Answer 16

• The essence of technology is dangerous, because it is a destining of revealing
• This deprives the human of a more original revealing of a more primal truth
• Saving power lets man into highest dignity of essence, in keeping watch over unconcealment
• The enframing allows man to find belonging in granting, if he pays attention to the essence of technology = saving power

Question 17

Verschil challenging en challenging forth:

Answer 17

Challenging: de demand dat dingen paraat staan
Challenging-forth: het (productief) voortbrengen (NB: forth - poiesis)

Question 18

What does energy mean in the sense of Heidegger?

Answer 18

Energie: causa efficiens

Question 19

Hyle

Answer 19

matter, hylomorphism is imprint of form onto matter

Question 20

Aition

Answer 20

that what causes another / which is indebted to another

Question 21

Telos

Answer 21

indebts our causes, indebted effect of a cause

Question 22

Logos/legein

Answer 22

to consider carefully, in order to bring forward into appearance

Question 23

Poeisis (Heidegger)

Answer 23

bringing-forth not in itself but in another, by the craftsman/artisan, link between poeisis and techne because techne is the reason through which poiesis is obtained

Question 24

Aletheia

Answer 24

truth that is unconcealed as the essence of a being

Question 25

Physis (H)

Answer 25

: the bursting forward of things in themselves