Daimonion of Dasein: A discussion on Heidegger's gods and a possible relation between gods and angst (Anxiety)

Tez Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Felsefe Bölümü, Türkiye

Tez Danışmanı: Aret Karademir

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2022

Tezin Dili: İngilizce

Özet:

“Only a god can save us,” says Heidegger. On the other hand, “by existence, Heidegger meant the search for God,” says Hans-Georg Gadamer. However, Heidegger’s book, Being and Time, is devoted to the inquiry of existence but devoid of an understanding of gods. Thus, two possible questions arise: what does Heidegger mean by gods, and is there any trace of a possible Being toward gods in Being and Time? In this thesis, I try to find answers to these questions. First, I try to reach an answer to the former question by explaining the truth of Being, the holy, and divinity in Heidegger. Finally, I show what a god signifies for Heidegger. Second, I try to answer the latter question by drawing an analogy between Socrates’ daimonion and Heidegger’s anxiety and the call of conscience. Consequently, I claim that there is a possible reciprocal relation between gods and anxiety in Heidegger. This claim also holds for a possible relation between gods and the call of conscience. My claim has three consequences for the readings of Heidegger. First, Dasein’s Being toward gods is possible thanks to anxiety and the call of conscience. Second, such concepts of the late Heidegger as gods, divinity, and the holy can be interpreted on the basis of the concepts of Being and Time such as anxiety and the call of conscience. Third, based on these concepts, there reveals a possible line of continuity between the late Heidegger and the Heidegger of Being and Time.