Literature Review - Heidegger & Discourse

Andru, James Patrick. (2011). Listening to Each Other, Ourselves, and the World:A Study of Heidegger's Concepts of Discourse and Language (Unpublished master's thesis). Rice University, Houston, Texas.

A paper that presented multiple people who dissected Heidegger’s work with respect to language and Discourse - was there a difference, did his ‘turn’ later on mean that he shifted from one point of view to the other or did he just go deeper in one and not the other. Exhausting to read the mind a beautiful, lyrical and ambiguous mind and the surety that each of the researchers have on what they are saying - amazing. Though it is clear that they left out a few pieces in order to make their piece stronger (according to the author). Andru’s thought process and interpretation of Heidegger’s Discourse and language made sense to me.

The following is verbatim or Andru and Heidegger

Language is the home of Being.

Language alone brings what is as something that is into the open for the first time.

Language as systems of signs OR language as Discourse

Logos - foundation of all systems of signs

Logos - meaningful world talked about linguistically

Language - signs system and Discourse - communicative

Discourse - intelligible and communicative - Carman

Disposition - existential ‘site’ of our lives, therefore mood towards something that matters to us.

Interpretation - disclosure of a thing or meaning as it stands within the context orf a certain understanding and disposition

Logos Discourse - make apparent/clear (to others) and make sense to self

Communicating with others we learn what is important, what is at issue etc.

Through Discourse we learn meaning. Discourse is totality of all meaning. Not transfer of knowledge but putting at stake.

Language ready to hand | tool | skill to learn

Unusual examples of Discourse (which also is evidence that it is a pre-linguistic phenomena)

1. Listening - hearing not by perceiving pure tones but respond to the meanings we encounter fundamental ways through which we express our understanding our world. Caller and the one who the appeal is made to

What is unconcealed in a phenomenological experience with listening?

Language allows world and thing to unfold in their potential

Being and Time - Speech is simultaneously hearing - speech and hearing are customarily set in opposition to one another (Heidegger 1993, 410-11). We are capable of speech because we have heard it first, we have listened to language, we hear language speaking.

Hearing as responding - clue to understanding our relationship with language.

2. Silence - keeping silent = conscience communicator=filled with meaning

Conscience - they and me, silent discourse - ownmostself and theyself

Humans are linguistic beings

Therefore Discourse:

silence

hearing

language = speech = linguistic

conscience

Dasien discovers the norms that is important to its life

secondary - symbolic systems and body language

understanding disposition is second to stillness