Abstract
There-being dwells in near-ness to things by reason of the double (ontic-ontological) dimension of ek-sistence. It tends Being in beings, insofar as it helps bring them forth into truth. This is what is meant by working. Such a process is complementary to thought, but we do not yet see precisely how.
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Notes
“Bauen, Wohnen, Denken,” VA, pp. 145–162. “Bringing-forth” translates Hervorbringen.
“… Die Sterblichen sind im Geviert, indem sie wohnen….” (VA, p. 150). Heidegger’s italics. See pp. 161 (Grundzug des Seins), 149 (Sich-Aufhalten).
“Tend to” translates schonen. It is an aphetic form of “attend,” and suggests very nicely what the German cannot: an affinity with attend-ing (hören) and attendance (ge-hören). Note, too, that the whole conception rejoins the nuance that will be given to λέγειν-νοεῖν in WD: to receive under one’s care (in die Acht). We transcend here the author’s formulae but not, we feel sure, his intention.
“… Der Grundzug des Wohnens ist dieses Schonen….” (VA, p. 149). Heidegger italicizes.
“… Schonen heißt: das Geviert in seinem Wesen hüten….” (VA, p. 151).
“… Das Wohnen als Schonen verwahrt das Geviert in dem, wobei die Sterblichen sich aufhalten: in den Dingen.” (VA, p. 151).
For the purists, “working” will seem an unhappy translation of bauen, which usually warrants “building,” “constructing,” or “cultivating,” whereas “working” usually translates arbeiten. We find “working,” however, more flexible, and at the moment this flexibility is necessary.
VA, pp. 147 (colere, aedificare), 152 (hegen, pflegen).
“Die Brücke versammelt auf ihre Weise Erde und Himmel, die Göttlichen und die Sterblichen bei sich.” (VA, p. 153). Heidegger’s italics.
VA, p. 155 (Stätte, Ort, Raum). We must forego the further analyses by which Heidegger explains the origin of distance (Abstand, Zwischenraum), extension and “absolute” space (“der” Raum). See VA, pp. 155–156. Cf. SZ, pp. 104–113.
VA, p. 160 (τέχνη).
“… Das Wohnen ist, insofern es das Geviert in die Dinge verwahrt, als dieses Verwahren ein Bauen….” (VA, p. 152). Heidegger’s italics.
By reason of this ontological nearness to things, There-being can be far closer to things that are ontically distant (v.g. the old bridge at Heidelberg) than those who daily travel it, if they remain in inauthenticity, unaware of their ontological prerogative (VA, pp. 157–158).
VA, pp. 159–160 (Zuspruch entsprochen), 162 (wohnen erst lernen). We take all of Heidegger’s references to the “ordinary” way of doing or understanding things as a continual repudiation of everydayness, therefore of inauthenticity. V.g. VA, pp. 145–146, 147–148, 160, 192, 198, etc.
“Wie anders aber können die Sterblichen diesem Zuspruch entsprechen als dadurch, daß sie an ihrem Teil versuchen, von sich her das Wohnen in das Volle seines Wesens zu bringen?…” (VA, p. 162). Heidegger’s italics. See pp. 161–162.
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© 1963 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Richardson, W.J. (1963). Working, Dwelling, Thinking. In: Heidegger. Phaenomenologica. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-6188-8_33
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