Study On Later Heidegger's Language Philosophy

Language philosophy is a very important part of Heidegger's system of philosophy. In the early Heidegger, he started to study language from "Dasein", and language was based on discourse which is existential construction of "Dasein". The way from the people to language seems to have the danger sliding into subjectivism criticized by Heidegger. Therefore, in the later Heidegger, the way of the thinking language have been changed, from "man→language" early into "Language→people" late.It is not a mutation that Heidegger's way of thinking have been changed from the early to the late, but is the result of his insistence on criticism of metaphysics and self-criticism.Heidegger's linguistic view is mainly the critique of traditional instrumental and objective view of language. He thinks that the traditional linguistic view is based deeply on subject of metaphysics, which regards the discourse as human activity and its product. Heidegger thinks that the traditional linguistic view which studies the nature of the language from saying and something people say conceals precisely the nature of the language, because it ignores a fundamental issue:how people can say and where saying base on. Therefore, later Heidegger's view of language aims at looking for foundation for saying. By listening and interpreting pre-Plato's thinker's fragments of works and Holderlin's, Rilke's, and Trakl's poems, Heidegger draws a conclusion that language is saying of Tao. Language is Tao, operating of Tao. Original language opens the way and gives clear state. Language makes things materialized and makes world globalized, however, it is introvert itself. Explicit and implicit is the operating mechanism of language. Heidegger thinks that the traditional linguistic view just sees explicit side of the operating mechanism of language but forgets the implicit one. Language opens way and gives clear state in where heaven, earth, god, man exist as they are. The language shows itself by allowing them to become as they are and keeps its nature by entering into them. Man as a party to "The fourfold", walking on the way opened by language and becoming what it is by entering into the clear state given by language relates to other three parts. Language makes man as man. Thus, the relationship between man and language has shifted:not people say language, but language "use" saying to show itself. This "use" is promises made by language to man who lives in language. Therefore, man has its roots in language and saying is response to the promise of language.The way of response is "poetry" and "thinking". The former corresponds to the explicit side of the operating mechanism of language and the later corresponds to the implicit side of operating mechanism of language. Combination of "poetry" and "thinking" is the respond to promise of the language. Therefore, the real way to language is the one opened by language into which people have entered.Later Heidegger's language philosophy is a kind of thought that is looking for roots for saying, and it also looks for roots for mankind. In later Heidegger's language philosophy, inquiry essence of mankind is based on the criticism of subjective metaphysics. Nowadays, looking for roots is very important for us. Since Descartes, man became the subject, meanwhile the rest of the world became the objects. Especially with the development of modern technology, the ability studying objects and ruling objects has been strengthened unprecedented. The relationship between subject and objects just is being occupying and being occupied, being developing and being developed. Search for roots gives us a richer and more authentic way of life except our modern world of technology. In today's highly developed material civilization, we should think about where we come from, in turn come back to where. In a word, later Heidegger's language philosophy finally is looking for roots and home for mankind.