Question

If Heidegger and Descartes are so far apart in terms of their principles of phenomenology, then what objections or criticisms would Heidegger likely have on Descartes' candle example? (going from what we know about Heidegger's ontological leanings in Being and Time).

Answer 1

Heidegger would critique Descartes' dualist approach, emphasizing the importance of understanding being within the context of the world and daily experiences, rather than through abstract theorization.

Step-by-step explanation:

Martin Heidegger would likely criticize Descartes' candle example because of its reliance on a dualistic separation between the mind and the world, which typically reduced the nature of being into abstract theories. Heidegger, advancing his views of phenomenology in Being and Time, suggests that true understanding derives from examining the world and our day-to-day experiences within it, not separating mind and reality. Heidegger would argue that Descartes' approach abstracts being from its lived context, missing the essence of how we truly encounter and engage with our existence.

For Heidegger, the focus on abstract ideas fails to reveal much about our being because they are not engaged in the world as is. Heidegger’s philosophy is deeply rooted in the everydayness of human existence (Dasein), proposing that understanding comes from the examination of being within its actual context, thus constructing a critique against Cartesian dualism that disassociates thinking from being-in-the-world.