Heidegger and the Will: On the Way to Gelassenheit (Studies in Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy)

the Problem Of The Will Has Long Been Viewed As Central To Heidegger's Later Thought. In The First Book To Focus On This Problem, Bret W. Davis Clarifies Key Issues From The Philosopher's Later Period—particularly His Critique Of The Culmination Of The History Of Metaphysics In The Technological Will To Will And The Possibility Of gelassenheit Or Releasement From This Willful Way Of Being In The World—but Also Shows That The Question Of Will Is At The Very Heart Of Heidegger's Thinking, A Pivotal Issue In His Path From being And Time (1926) To Time And Being (1962). moreover, The Book Demonstrates Why Popular Critical Interpretations Of Heidegger's Relation To The Will Are Untenable, How His So-called Turn Is Not A Simple Turnaround From Voluntarism To Passivism. Davis Explains Why The Later Heidegger's Key Notions Of Non-willing And gelassenheit Do Not Imply A Mere Abandonment Of Human Action; Rather, They Are Signposts In A Search For An Other Way Of Being, A Higher Activity Beyond The Horizon Of The Will. While Elucidating This Search, His Work Also Provides A Critical Look At The Ambiguities, Tensions, And Inconsistencies Of Heidegger's Project, And Does So In A Way That Allows Us To Follow The Inner Logic Of The Philosopher's Struggles. As Meticulous As It Is Bold, This Comprehensive Reinterpretation Will Change The Way We Think About Heidegger's Politics And About The Thrust Of His Philosophy As A Whole. The problem of the will has long been viewed as central to Heidegger's later thought. In the first book to focus on this problem, Bret W. Davis clarifies key issues from the philosopher's later periodparticularly his critique of the culmination of the history of metaphysics in the technological "will to will" and the possibility of Gelassenheit or "releasement" from this willful way of being in the worldbut also shows that the question of will is at the very heart of Heidegger's thinking, a pivotal issue in his path from Being and Time (1926) to "Time and Being" (1962). Moreover, the book demonstrates why popular critical interpretations of Heidegger's relation to the will are untenable, how his so-called "turn" is not a simple "turnaround" from voluntarism to passivism. Davis explains why the later Heidegger's key notions of "non-willing" and " Gelassenheit " do not imply a mere abandonment of human action; rather, they are signposts in a search for an other way of being, a "higher activity" beyond the horizon of the will. While elucidating this search, his work also provides a critical look at the ambiguities, tensions, and inconsistencies of Heidegger's project, and does so in a way that allows us to follow the inner logic of the philosopher's struggles. As meticulous as it is bold, this comprehensive reinterpretation will change the way we think about Heidegger's politics and about the thrust of his philosophy as a whole. Contents......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 List of Abbreviations......Page 18 Introduction: On Gelassenheit and Heidegger’s Path of Thought......Page 24 1 The Will, Non-Willing, and the Domain of the Will: Preliminary Determinations......Page 36 2 The Ambiguous Role of the Will in Being and Time......Page 57 3 The Turn Through an Embrace of the Will......Page 93 4 A Radically Ambivalent Onto-Theodicy of Primal Willing: On Heidegger’s Interpretations of Schelling......Page 133 5 Releasement to and from God’s Will: Excursus on Meister Eckhart After Heidegger......Page 155 6 The Mature Critique of the Will......Page 179 7 Twisting Free of the Domain of the Will: On the Way to an Other Beginning of Non-Willing......Page 218 8 Intimations of Being in the Region of Non-Willing......Page 249 9 Residues of Will in Heidegger’s Thought......Page 272 10 The Persistence of Ur-Willing, the Dissonant Excess of Evil, and the Enigma of Human Freedom......Page 309 Notes......Page 338 Bibliography......Page 400 Index......Page 414 Introduction : On Gelassenheit And Heidegger's Path Of Thought -- The Will, Non-willing, And The Domain Of The Will : Preliminary Determinations -- The Ambiguous Role Of The Will In Being And Time -- The Turn Through An Embrace Of The Will -- A Radically Ambivalent Onto-theodicy Of Primal Willing : On Heidegger's Interpretations Of Schelling -- Releasement To And From God's Will : Excursus On Meister Eckhart After Heidegger -- The Mature Critique Of The Will -- Twisting Free Of The Domain Of The Will : On The Way To An Other Beginning Of Non-willing -- Intimations Of Being In The Region Of Non-willing -- Residues Of Will In Heidegger's Thought -- The Persistence Of Ur-willing, The Dissonant Excess Of Evil, And The Enigma Of Human Freedom. Bret W. Davis. Revision Of The Author's Dissertation--vanderbilt University, 2001. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 367-379) And Index. The problem of the will has long been viewed as central to Heidegger's later thought. Focusing on this problem, this book aims to clarify key issues from the philosopher's later period, and demonstrates how his so-called "turn" is not a simple "turnaround" from voluntarism to passivism.