Date: Thu, 2 Jul 1998 08:36:20 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Mind & Body, One More Time


Mike S:

On Wed, 1 Jul 1998, Mike Staples wrote:

> 
> I'm understanding the relationship here between self-constituting and
> thrown-ness as circular. Another circularity of Being is the
> relationship between Dasein and the world -- i.e., there is no world
> without Dasein, there is no Dasein without world. If I have that right,
> then what seems dangerous here is the tendency to find an "end-point" to
> this circularity by landing on the terms "mastery," "will" and so on.
> What concerns me with this "mastery" business is the emphasis on
> responsibility -- what you might think of in psychology when you think
> of the positive-thinking guys, where the answer to everything is to
> build a big strong-man ego that can whip the world into whatever shape
> it likes.
> 
> Michael S.
I see what you're saying, and I think the later Heid. of Gelassenheit
would agree.  But the early Heid. was strongly influenced by
existentialist ideas, and did feel that we have some (limited) power over 
our moods.  Thus, if I am in the mood of scientific objectification and
am still in that mood when I come home to my children, I can make some
effort to "quit it" and start acting like a caring parent.  If I wake up
in a "bad mood," I can do something about it (work out, take a hot bath,
meditate).  In other words, I'm not a total slave to every passing mood.  
There must be a middle ground between Wayne Dwyer and hopelessness.

I agree that the vocabulary of "mastery" is not Heideggerian

Charlie> > > >
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