COHERENT AND ACTIONABLE HEIDEGGER

A practical and non-academic presentation of Martin Heidegger is a project of mine.  I call it, "MY AMATEUR HEIDEGGERIAN  ADVENTURE."   

Kudos to a man who bettered me on aspects of this project.  Alexander J.A. Cortes sent out a newsletter a few days ago about Heidegger with the qualification that it is not meant to be professor/philosophy content but intended for Bros. 

Cortes is an authentic leader and advocate of healthy living and authentic masculinity.  Thus, his topic of Heidegger's value toward Authenticity and Dasein.  I approve.  

Do I have the money to sign up for an important collaboration of Alexander Cortes and Ed Latimore and Tanner Guzy ? 

No.  

Will it make a difference if I don't have it at the moment?  

No.  

Is it my own responsibility to have the prosperity for such a learning project?  

Yes.   

Alexander Cortes had an excellent presentation of Heidegger for men to actually use in the context of what Cortes advocates and teaches.  

My project in practical and non-academic profit from Heidegger's  philosophy began years ago and has been online until I can formulate a complete book.  Here is a beginning excerpt :

MY AMATEUR HEIDEGGERIAN ADVENTURE

Attention to quality living with philosophical and mystic implications.

In the varied exoteric and esoteric approaches to meeting the challenges of life, I have most recently found the work of Martin Heidegger to be the most worthwhile. Heidegger focuses his work on questions and who to ask those questions and how to interpret what we perceive about those questions. Facile answers that have been churned out before are not answers at all. The continuous circling of thought as a dynamic continuance is most likely to cybernetically lead us to where we are going. 

Before you continue reading my amateur, anecdotal work it might be best to locate and read some of the fine work of the primary Heidegger books.  I'm new to this. This booklet is only to share my enthusiasm and not to claim any academic expertise.

The fields of study and viewpoints expressed in scholarship about the work of Martin Heidegger are rich and varied. The primary works about Heidegger and elucidations by professional scholars should be consulted first of course. Among 'professional scholars' I would include people who have had a great interest and been absorbed in practical understanding, and not only licensed academics.

However, my premise is that Heidegger maintained that the study of Being should be, or at least could be, lived in everydayness as an immediate experience rather than a mere theory. In my current situation there is continuous and unrelenting demand upon my activities and I've had to set aside any participation in esoteric practices, meditation, or study. I have to perceive meaning about any advanced direction within the context of my caregiver efforts. Direction from Spirit must come while I am in motion and concentrating upon the next task. I believe that perspective can be directed by language and as I develop my own terminology there is no reason I can't learn from the great minds that have gone before me.

Heidegger was one who looked to the ancient sources of the homeland for inspiration. His historical land and mythos are similar to those of us who have a Germanic heritage. He was speaking to us. I'm more convinced than ever that there is a generic Presence that thrives with and for the Land and Folk. We are rightful and loving. This Presence is responsive and responsible for vital living. The mythic dimension that best presents the Deities, Archetypes, and Heroic Folk in action is found in the interface of the ancient ancestral heritage with the current functioning on the land and society. In my case, this is the Teutonic legacy. Heidegger sensed this Teutonic legacy and presented it within the framework of professional philosophy.

Heidegger believed that the technical discipline of standard philosophy was not sufficient to understand central questions. To understand Being he turned toward asking the right questions in the right way. He used language and art in a comprehensive and creative way. He had tremendous respect for poetry. This respect for poetry is in keeping with the ancient knowledge of the magic of the skald, scop, the story-teller, and artist of the tribe.

Heideggerian Concepts For Living Well.

It's amazing and fortunate that language structure can be creatively configured to be a tool for authentic living. Some very few people may have been fortunate enough to have had access to their native ancestral voices, before they were modified in the wrong way by foreign manipulations. Heidegger attempted to recover those primordial voices as best he could. However, during his times in academia Greek was considered the most ancient of philosophic speach. Yet there was also a current of recovering the ancient Germanic expression in his region. It does not seem that he was familiar with these intellectual aspects of the Volkisch awakening. Still, something in his perception of the primordial within the German language context directed him toward a deeper understanding of word potentials. His definition of and use for German words in a philosophical context reached back to ancient Heathen times whether he was entirely aware of it or not. He was a man of great erudition and awareness was his business so I believe he knew but was being career cautious. Sometimes Heidegger would combine and rearrange German words for specific contexts.

It is interesting that a Heideggerian notion concerns what is most immediate as a powerful presence is also hidden. Or so it seems to us. Like many others I thought that to find answers to my questions in some foreign world-view teachings. My own experience was a side trip toward a 'slang' of some proslytizing aspects of Oriental culture. This imbued the acolyltes of the group with a language of Japanese and Sanskrit that we used interspersed with English. A rejection of our selves and our people as metaphysically inferior was ironically a binding feature toward the world-wide organization. This inauthentic experience demanded more of us as we gave more. It became too much to bear for me so I escaped. This escape was made possible by recovering my own perspective and taking back my own historicity and culture. I also found the 'hidden', or concealed, insights within my individuality and culture as they became unconcealed within my own Germanic language heritage. Now I can honestly say I'm less influenced by Japanese and Sanscrit terms that used to dominate my conversation.

My recent frame of reference is more useful as a free man who might yet be successful in his endeavors. Freedom and awareness are found in language. The technical and professional philosopher will no doubt find argument with my oversimplification of terms. Yet in the events and unconcealments of daily living that allow the presence of Mystery there is evidence that my amateur approach works. Here are some basic Heideggerian concepts that are working for me.

BEING : To realize Being is a central reason for the quest. Heidegger thought we should be more aware of the amazing wonder that there is Being. He asked a question that many children ask at some point. "Why is there something instead of nothing?" Looking beyond the obvious is the Heideggarian way. We know it is obvious that there are 'beings' yet we should look closer at what makes those 'beings' possible. It is from Being that they arise. Heidegger has a quest to better understand Being and to live better with this knowledge.

DASEIN : This is the appropriation of the realities that the individual perceives and creates as a unique and integral entity in the field of Being. Literally, 'Dasein' is defined as 'da' (there) and 'sein' (being). There and being were combined by Heidegger to describe whis central concept. My own understanding of the meaning of Dasein at this time is that Dasein is the individual perception and action in the creation of his or her reality.

EREIGNIS : This is the condition of events that occur in the context of our living environment. It is within Ereignis that we have the opportunity to live authentically by seeing what is 'unconcealed' by the dynamics of active living.

LICHTEN : This is the 'lighting' or bringing out of concealment what we should see. I'm still working on the distinction (if any) between 'Lichten' and 'Clearing' which is where enough attention is given to reveal realities.

THROWNESS : This is the situation where we find ourselves involved. Heidegger does not give enormous causal responsibility for where we find ourselves living out our lives. There is no relationship similar to the paralysing moral weight given by the Buddhist concept of karma and the oneness of the person and his environment. Throwness in Heidegger's conceptualization is that responsibility for environmental situation might be significant in some respects and in others it might only be a detriment to living fully.

SORGE : Care. This might be the emotional and reasonable focused attention that increases the liklihood of appreciating enownment of the presence of our unique Dasein. Care is emotional and reasonable attention and taking action toward living fully.

AUTHENTICITY : This is the goal of Heideggerian philosophical living. In some respects I regard the recognition and active responsiblity to authenticity as being what qualifies and amateur like myself as enacting Heideggerian thought processes in equal measure to a professional philosopher.

APPROPRIATION : This is a term used for human acceptance and action when presented with a particular revelation of Dasein. Appropriation seems to arrive because of the readiness of the individual for a disclosure of Being that corresponds to the event presented. This seems to be a mutual effort.

ENOWNMENT : This is taking responsibility for what particular appropriation has been accomplished.

DISCLOSURE : This is similar to Lichten and Clearing in that when there is an open area of Clearing there is the opportunity for Lichten to reveal Disclosure of Being as it is in our Dasein. The entire temporality event, in it's occurance, could be seen as the presentation of Ereignis. How the person perceives and understands events will influence the authentic quality of living in awareness.

THEYNESSS : This is a concern for the opinions of others that is to be avoided. The individual will lose what is authentic with the 'levelling down' of mediocrity in mass public opinion.

MITSEIN : This is how to keep ourselves authentic within the reality that we are living with others in our world. Perhaps I could define this as 'being with' a given destiny of persons of significance.

ACCORDANCE : This is a term used to elucidate truth. When we are in accordance with something, we percieve it as being true. A distinction is made by Heideggerian scholars between the reletivism of existentialists and truth as being from the individual as being in accordance. It seems that the 'accordance' that Heidegger describes is considerate of the tradition from historicity where we find ourselves.

COMPORTMENT : This furthers the relationship aspect of accordance. How we comport ourselves toward others will determine how they seem in truth. We are able to improve our relationships in how we comport ourselves.

Here I want to include other concepts of a positive quality. This is open for further terms and definitions.

What does it mean to be Heideggerian? Indeed, the question contains a portion of the answer. Heidegger stated that questions are important and that the quality being questioned already is answered for us or we could not ask the question.

To be Heideggerian is to be more aware of Being and Time. We seek to know our Dasein. Actually, Heidegger seems to imply that mystery is important, and maybe more relevant than the supposed final answers of 'science', so we could be aware of our Dasein and appreciate that there is more to know.

More notes for My Amateur Heidegerrian Adventure.

There is information about the given events and the appropriation of events that got my attention toward knowing that Martin Heidegger offered a way of finding direction. Dasein will be unconcealealed right where we find ourselves. A Heideggerian quest is one of overcoming the malaise of modernity, while still finding value in everydayness. It is important not to become mired in the mediocrity of a fallen culture, yet it is in our reality that the more profound contact with living can be noticed.

It is important to me that Martin Heidegger was fully trained in world philosophy yet chose to look at areas that were closest to his own historicity. His attitude on Tradition requires a thorough study of what is meant by Tradition. 

I lack professional academic expertise but my enthusiasm was enough for me to recognize quality work by others when I saw it.  

AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE BY MICHAEL O'MEARA.

Essays in more thoughtful times had the power to awaken something of our better spirits and to transform how we live. Some works are like great music which can be heard to reveal something new each time we listen. The main theme is there while dynamic new themes rise in the background.

This is how I see the masterpiece by Michael O'Meara that appears in a high-quality journal, "Tyr : Myth - Culture - Tradition" volume 3, 2007. Edited by Joshua Buckley and Michael Moynihan. I've read O'Meara's work at least 25 times and there is something new each time that jumps to the forefront. Perhaps this coincides with the very nature of Radical Traditionalist thought, in that an originating theme is maintained and respected while allowing innovation responsive to the immediate time.

"THE PRIMODIAL AND THE PERENNIAL : TRADITION IN THE THOUGHT OF MARTIN HEIDEGGER AND JULIUS EVOLA"

Martin Heidegger (1878 - 1976) is considered by some to be the most important philosopher of the 20th Century. Some others have banished and slandered his work due to their personal and modern politically correct bias. The influence and perspectives on Heidegger is varied yet an undeniable power in Germanic culture. There is considerable misunderstanding by the uninformed yet it is even more shocking when a supposed intellectual misrepresents Heidegger's work. One of O'Meara's accomplishments is to confront this problem directly. I was first impressed by this article because it affirmed what I had observed about how Julius Evola had criticized Martin Heidegger as a nihilistic existentialist - - which shows that Evola had apparently never read his work. Heidegger was critical of modernism, including the modern loss of respect for what is valuable in our historicity. The Radical Traditionalists have recognized that Evola and Heidegger have much in common with their notions of the need to overcome the vacuity of modernism. The perspectives on how this should be overcome differs in many respects.

This excellent article reinforces my opinion that the German philosopher has something profound to offer toward our authentic return to Traditional living. I also believe that Hiedegger offers us a much more authentic model than the Italian esotericist, Julius Evola. There is a paradox in finding some value in the attempts that Evola made which occurs mostly in the titles of his books like "Revolt Against the Modern World" and "Ride the Tiger". Both titles are concisley good ideas. It is the genius of Michael O'Meara that introduced me to the relevance of comparing the "Perennial" of Evola with the "Primordial" of Heidegger. A return to Tradition is what is called for in each case.

An antidote is offered here for the sludgy, homogenized, dilittantism of a 'same world' frame of reference when considering (and directly influencing)the individual and society where he exists. By emphasizing the 'perrenial' of all mankind there is too often a dismissal of what makes the individual and his indigeonous world unique. Sometimes for tourist purposes or to meet the criteria of academic departments, a tribal culture is allowed and even encouraged to display this uniqueness. This allowance is likely to be subject to the whims and agendas of political structures. When all cultures are allowed their right to exist, the political structure will fade and localized and more immediate regional interests will take their rightful places. Where this is allowed, more healthy nation-states will result.

Some might see it as ironic that reaching farther back to a more powerful immediacy and creating a stronger future is facilitated by the 'Primordial' which is more tribal and less diluted by massive political constructs. Both Heidegger and Evola are against what modernism has done to humanity and see a return to Traditionalism as a way to correct this mailaise. Evola believed there was a golden era where the transcendant world of Platonic ideals governed mankind. He saw the 'devolution' of mankind as a decaying from this ideal non-created state. Time for Evola is much like the fundamentalist eschatology of an apocolypse. For Heidegger, the created environment where we find ourselves offers the promise of immanence within transcendance. That is, by knowing our Dasein in the full context of time we can return to each one's own relationship to authenticity.

O'Meara points out that Heidegger's Primordialism transcends mere Perennialism as to what offers value in the Traditional. A dogmaticly themed 'traditional teaching' is not what Heidegger meant. The German word 'Uberlieferung' describes relationship to Tradition that more accurately describes Heidegger's attitude toward Tradition. O'Meara makes it clear that dogmatic views and actual heritage are not necessarily the same. "Heidegger's thought is about uncovering the heritage of these ancient wellsprings" (O'Meara, pg. 71).

So far I've tried to express my enthusiasm for O'Meara's essay in my own words. However since I'm not yet equal to that task and since this could be considered a 'literary review' and certainly a strong recommendation, I would like to quote some of O'Meara and Heidegger in their own words.

"Given its ahistorical assertion of immutable truths ensconced in pure reason, Heidegger claims that metaphysics prefiguring and deconstructing impetus alienates beings from Being, freezing them in their momentary representations and hence preventing them from unfolding in accord with the possibilities posed by their specific world." (O'Meara, pgs. 70 - 71).

Here I'm reminded of a school curriculum or dictate of science that presents an immutable truth as a means of societal and ultimatelly political influence. Those aspects of metaphysics that have been 'accepted' might need to be questioned. This questioning does not necessarily reject the conclusions already accepted and might even put them on a firmer foundation toward our appreciation and advancement.

O'Meara's definitive knowledge of the Radical Traditional mission allows him to elucidate his own observations of principles seamlessly with Heidegger quotes. Each one is a gem. I'm reluctant to quote any of these without the complete context of the article. Since this could be considered a literary review I might try to introduce some examples.

Single quotes within the main quote are Heidegger's words.

"Man's 'First beginning' - the 'unprecedented and monumental' beginning (Aufangen) in which his ancestors were 'caught' (geflangen) as a specific form of Being - brings other beginnings into play, becoming the ground of all his subsequent groundings. By setting history in a certain direction, the beginning - the Primordial - 'does not reside back in the past but lies in advance of what is to come.' It is 'the distant decree that orders us to recapture its greatness'. Without this 'reconquest', there can never be another commencement : for it is in reapportioning a heritage, whose beginning is already a completion, that man comes back to himself, inscribing himself in the world of his own time." (pg. 75)

"An authentic human existance, Heidegger claims is 'a process of taking over who we have been in the service of who we are.'." (pg. 75)

O'Meara is the author of "New Culture, New Right : Anti-Liberalism in Postmodern Europe".

Continuing my own observations of my daily Heideggerian quest.

It seems there are many interpretations that authors bring forward about what it means to be Heideggerian. Each seems to enown a unique perspective. It seems that to live in language projects a person well into a Heideggerian focus and in fact each must enown what he perceives as both priori and a new beginning. This aspect of how time influences perception is one aspect of our work. Our work of living from the past and new beginning will create a future that is grand.

My list of concepts shows an active and perceptive process of the extraordinary state of living authentically. A theme that presents itself in my life is that elitism is most likely necessary. To go along with the dictates of the modern world is an empty proposition. Some scholars compare the elite quest of the Heideggerian to the Ubermensch of Nietzsche. Again, a distinction is made that Nietzsche's Superman and the adept Heideggerian have a different relationship to tradition. The Heideggerian allows the ancient past to have a presence and direction if it appears as an Ereignis in the field of power.

Having given my homage to elitism, I must say that the omnipresence of Being is avalalable to all. In everydayness we can enown a focused intent toward the disclosure of Being. Everydayness must be authentic and not given to the dicates of the 'they' who have created pop culture or media influence. If we recognize that we have an authenticity that is 'in each case, one's own' there will be a presence in daily life. A seeming paradox here that we are each unique yet we come into the world within the context of a tradition. This tradition is in the nature of our Dasein. Looking far away will lead away from athenticity.

The following applies to where I was when I wrote this article a few years ago.  I wish that my mother was still alive and for many aspects of the past that seemed difficult at the time.  Appreciate and stand for where you are now.  

My own purpose right now mostly in the nature of acting as caregiver for my mother. The situation is difficult for her after her stroke five years ago. It is beginning to seem that she will require more professional help than I can giver her. I have been resisting any move to a resthome or assisted living for her. So the dominant attention of any given day is in taking care of her. The more I can appreciate this and act without complaint the better my value in everydayness. There is a past that carries forward unconcealing a destining power.