Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1998 00:09:15 +0200 Subject: Re: Suffering From: artefact-AT-t-online.de (Michael Eldred) Cologne, 01 September 1998 Mike Staples schrieb: > Michael, > > What do you hear in the word "Suffering"? > > Michael S. The first thing I hear, Michael, is “patience” and then Gk. _pathein_ or _paschein_ (to suffer, to bear, admit, receive an impression, experience, tolerate). In Aristotle’s Metaphysics, Book Theta, in which _dynamis_ is investigated, there is a distinction and complementarity between _dynamis tou pathein_ and _dynamis tou poiein_, i.e. between power to bear or resist and power to do or bring forth. Thus e.g. a lump of clay has the “power” to bear being formed into a vase, whereas a piece of granite has the power to resist admitting such a transformation, both complementary to a power of _technae_ to knowingly bring forth a vase, cup or whatever. (cf. Theta 1, 1046a11-16). Aristotle thinks _dynamis_ as modes of being in relation to his prime understanding of being as _ousia_ (substance, presence-at-hand). This has to be thought totally anew in the context of Dasein, where _dynamis_ would translate as Seinkoennen, being-able-to. Dasein’s being-able-to is only possible by virtue of Dasein’s transcendence beyond beings to being which is at the same time the dimension of Dasein’s existing. Dasein transcends, i.e. goes beyond, beings by way of understanding them as such in the context of a possibility of its own existing, i.e. other beings, including other Dasein, are incorporated into and offer themselves as a possibility of Dasein’s existing. In such incorporation into a project of Dasein’s being-able-to exist in such-and-such a way, Dasein experiences the malleability and/or resistance of other beings, which either suffer incorporation, or stand up against it. Existing thus means encountering the resistance of other beings (cf. e.g. GA26:279) and also withstanding or admitting being modelled and manipulated by others’ projects. Standing out in the open (ek-sisting) thus also means standing against (re-sisting) and withstanding (bearing, standing). Being cast into the dimension of being’s openness means both freedom (being-able-to) and, concomitantly, having to take a stand, to withstand, having to stand (suffer, bear). This is a very rough, inadequate sketch to indicate how (Dasein’s) suffering has to be thought ontologically (not ontically) in relation to the standing-out (ex-sisting) into the Offenstaendigkeit (lit.: open-standingness, openness) of the truth of being. The “ontological suffering” I have indicated here has to be taken in a very broad sense something like passivity. Metaphysically speaking, humankind is impressionable to the impression of being, like Plato’s ideas as the outline of beings that is impressed on the soul. The suffering of Dasein in the world has to be seen in connection with the ontological resistance of the world Cf. e.g. SuZ Section 43 b): “Das ‘Wider’ und ‘Gegen’ sind in ihrer ontologischen Moeglichkeit durch das erschlossene In-der-Welt-sein getragen.” “’Counter’ and ‘against’ in their ontological possibility are borne by the opening of being-in-the-world.”. Michael _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- artefact text and translation _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- made by art _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- http://www.webcom.com/artefact/ _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ artefact-AT-t-online.de-_-_ _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Dr Michael Eldred -_-_-_ _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- --- from list heidegger-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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