Anxiety-in-Time

                                             Time is not a thing, this nothing which is, and yet it remains

constant is in its passing away without

something temporal like the

beings in time.

—Martin Heidegger   

      The notion of human being throughout the history has come under iterations kind of thinking as definition formulated tends to resemble things, placing repugnant understanding to asunder its very essence of what it is like to be and its why of being human. Martin Heidegger (Sept. 26, 1889-1976) widely acknowledge to be one of the most original and important philosopher of 20^th century while remaining controversial. His thinking has contributed to such diverse field as Phenomenology (Merleau-Ponty), Existentialism (Ortega y Gasset, Sartre), Hermeneutics (Gadamer, Ricoeur), Political theory (Arendt, Marcuse, Habermas), Psychology (Boss, Binswanger) and Theology ( Tilliach, Bultmann). Known for his invention of new German vocabulary and giving old terms new meanings to express ostensibly in fathoming his question on the meaning of Being, as it is forgotten in the course of inquiry which had undergone “alterations and retouchings,” which had been dogmatically assumed as the essence of reality. Leading to complete neglect which continuously disturbing as every attempt to contained its essence fails. Heidegger recede to such insight as it would not give progress and does prevent understanding, which he pruned such kind of thinking.

     As it is deemed that Heidegger's magnus opus, Being and Time (1927) is considerably mind bugling and requires enormous effort to cipher the relevance of such idea. His book offers a revulsion in one's thinking or comportment towards its existence. As a way of presenting Anxiety-in-Time and its attempt, it had consider some topics that is considered relevant which will be under the heading; Dasein's Being-in-the-world and Anxiety-in-Time. The paper also present a story created which would somehow express wholly its aim and capstone of the paper.

Story of an Artist

In a village surrounded with a scenic view lived an artist whose house seats on a mountain, away from the main village where crowd gathers. One day, the village chief commissioned him to exhibit a range of painting depicting the villagers life as highlight for the village festival. Vincent was delighted by the opportunity, he hurriedly prepare necessary equipment needed for the project. Seated in his drawing room with a brush in his hand facing the canvas, though he had the idea of what to paint but he couldn't start which made him often peek to his window. Despite of spending almost his entire life in the village still he couldn't paint what he had in mind. One morning, Vincent decided to keenly examine the whole village, riding at the back of his horse, Vincent stroll the village quietly paying attention to every facade and movement that caught his eyes. Arriving at his house, he hurriedly enter his drawing room, picking up his palette and brush. He started stroking what he had seen, after finishing one painting and seeing his work, he felt dissatisfied with his work and thought that it has no appeal of spirit in his subject, which he immediately decided to consider the painting as a thrash. As the festival draws near it gives him the pressure and bothered him as he takes his breakfast, lunch and dinner leaving it almost untouched. Vincent again decided to stroll the village but this time without riding horse, making his way to the village just by walking. Along the road he meet people which he exchange smiles with them and talk to old acquaintances where he had not notice that it was time to go home, which Vincent enjoys listening and exchange thoughts. The following day seated in his drawing room, Vincent carefully paint the canvas recalling smilingly and stroke every face he had meet. After finishing seven paintings and looking at them, he sees the subject in the painting as if it talks to him. The subjects in the painting radiates as if it was alive. At the end of the day Vincent happily place his signet to every piece of his work with relief and felt content with his work.

Dasein's Being-in-the-world

     In his fundamental treatise, Being and Time, he attempted to access being (Sein) by means of phenomenological analysis of human existence (Dasein) in respect to its temporal and historical character. Heidegger's identification of Dasein (being-there) as the possible entity that could possibly give light to his inquiry over the meaning of Being. As the only entity that questions its own entity as it comports towards its “average everydayness”—where it find itself already out there in the world, not the world as aggregated of objects and object-relations, but as a referential totality of meanings, equipment and possibilities. Heidegger writes that, “Dasein is n entity that does not occur among other entities, it is ontically distinguished by the fact that an understanding of Being is itself a definite characteristic of Dasein's Being.” Dasein does take priority over all other entities; first priority is ontical one, existence is one of Dasein's basic structure. Second priority is an ontological one, because existence is thus determinative for it. Third priority as providing the ontico-ontological condition for the possibility of all ontologies. Leading Dasein as worthy of interrogation and the possibility of disclosing Being.

     Being-in-the-world, the hyphenation does emphasize the unitary character of the phenomenon. Dasein's being-in-the-world is not an extended substance, its existence in the world allow Dasein to participate in and with in terms of possibility of itself. The world points to its yonder, its “existential spatiality which thus determines its location, it itself grounded in being-in-the-world which allow Dasein to ponder of its existence through its engagement or are encountered.” Dasein (being-there) possesses structure that makes the possible way as it project the world. It does give light to the question, What is the “There” that Dasein brings with it?. Heidegger discusses the “Thereness” (existential constitution of the There) under threefold structure. First, Mood or Approach which Dasein encounters its environment, either despairing or joyful mood which is determined by the performance or engagement of its task. Mood discloses Dasein's coming with its existence, a mood makes manifest “How one is and How one is faring.” Second, Understanding in which Dasein project contexts and purposes to things. Heidegger points that understanding exemplifies the character of existence. Understanding is always ahead of itself, always confronted with potentiality and possibility. “Understanding is the existential Being of Dasein's own potentiality-for-Being; and it is so in such a way that this Being discloses in itself what its Being is capable of.” Third, Discourse. Only something that can be formulated in speech can be understood and subject to Dasein's mood. It is an example of attunement and of coming to understand, which is always expressed in language where it involves other or Being-with.

Dasein's Anxiety-in-Time

In the previous discussion it had been seen that Dasein (being-there) in-the-world discloses its basic structure of existence where Being-in-the-world manifest of “how one is and faring” Dasein, in its engagement with its existing (day-by-day). In the following discussion it would be focusing on the complications of Dasein's Being-in-the-world, as it is completely aware of its “throwness” (past) which he fully understand. Instead of lamenting over its past (Being-thrown) Dasein project (future) itself towards as it undergoes engagement in and with. The main concern is its current position (present), the Dasein's living with the day (as Dasein is aware of its end as something uncontrollable) in the world together with other entity. As Dasein recognizes its transitory existence (Being-towards-death), it could not be taken for granted the possibility to fall as a result of Dasein's engagement or the acquisition process towards Being along its way. For Dasein exists in the midst of being which one either Dasein or das Man (the Other). The encounter with those; “Being-alongside” or “Being-with” them, is made possible by the presence of those beings with-in-the-world. As Dasein is aware that time plays a vital role in the drwaing near of or into Being, it could not or claimed that the understanding of existence as temporal Dasein is open to fallness. The mounting pressure of time that it give to Dasein in his being-there is the reason to fall, as it is held that Dasein's mood can deteriorate or change (boredom, is one possible of mood change), which simply means that in every existing in the “everydayness” affects projecting. Despite of its recognition of having an exceptional character (entity) among other entities it does not guarantee an easy way of drawing near to Being. For its projecting is solely dependent of its “throwness” (past as having-been), comporting to daily engagement endangers Dasein to gall which wold bring to exist inauthentically.

     In the falling of Dasein's (being-en-trap), its being contained as a result of Dasein's fleeing. Anxiety serve as life saver of Dasein being in the sate of fallness, anxiety could be in line with the idea of conscience— the awareness of one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong. Heidegger suggest that anxiety is a generalized mood of condition that can often occur without an identifiable triggering stimulus (objectless), as such, it is distinguished from fear, which occurs in the presence of an observed threat. Fear is related to the specific behaviors escape and avoidance (Dasein's fleeing from itself). Anxiety confronts Dasein with the knowledge that is thrown into the world— always already delivered over to situations of choice and action. On similar note, Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) suggest that the positive resolution of anxiety is through the self-consciousness exercise of responsibility and choosing. Anxiety confronts Dasein with the determining and yet sheerly contingent fact of its own existence.

     As a way of conclusion it thus claimed that, time plays a relevant role in Dasein's existence in its being-there as being in a state of anxiety. It may not be pointed out at the moment or perhaps it won't be the object of its anxiety, but the reason for its being in the state of anxiety has all to do with time. Therefore, Dasein's existence is always in the state of Anxiety-in-Time, as it is understood that being-there is only temporal in its existence. For this reason Heidegger was right in suggesting that an individual should be a master of itself or as one performs his/her choices in life. Whatever tides it may ashore in its Being-there, surely it would be overcome. Heidegger heed to the call of F. Neitzsche's idea of Übermensch, suggesting a turning away from earthly twilight of the gods and to avoid becoming a laughingstock.