A Reflection on the Relationship Between Authentic Life and the Enigma of Being in Heidegger's Thought

Document Type : The Quarterly Jornal

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Theology, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran (Corresponding Author).

2 Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Theology, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran.

10.22081/jpt.2025.72834.2278

Abstract

This article examines the concept of authentic life in the thought of Martin Heidegger, focusing on its connection to the enigma of Being (Seinsrätsel) across his early and later periods. Using the method of philosophical interpretation and textual analysis, it is shown that in Being and Time, authentic life is linked, on one hand, to the existential dimension and the custodianship of Dasein's Being, and on the other hand, to the historical-ontological horizon. This means that the authentic Dasein is freed from the domination of "the they" (das Man) by heeding the call of conscience and anticipating death (death-awareness), and consciously referring back to its heritage to pursue its more authentic possibilities of Being. In this perspective, referring to heritage is a means of opening future possibilities and reviving the forgotten horizons of the truth of Being. In the later period, with Being (Sein) centralizing instead of Dasein, the path of authenticity shifts from Selfhood (Selbstheit) toward Releasement (Gelassenheit). In this phase, authentic life becomes possible through the transition from Representational Thinking (Vorstellen) to Meditative Thinking (Besinnung). The authentic Dasein lives in expectancy of Being and openness to the mystery of Being, understanding things not as objects of consumption, but as matters that dwell in the breadth and openness of Being. This research demonstrates that by proposing a three-stage framework, authentic life in Heidegger's intellectual system can be understood as a mode of Being that encompasses the existential, historical-cultural, and ontological levels in an interwoven manner, offering a more coherent interpretation of authentic life and the relationship between Dasein and Being.
This article is extracted from a Ph.D. dissertation titled "A Comparative Study of Authentic Life in the Thought of Heidegger and Mulla Sadra" (Supervisor: Reza Gandomi Nasrabad; Advisor: Mehdi Zakeri), Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

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References

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