On Heidegger’s Thought Of Falling

Heidegger’s thought of falling is an important part of hiswhole philosophical thought. My paper aims at analyzing it. As one of themost important philosophers in20th century, Heidegger has a goodknowledge of modern man’s living plight. He divides human’s livingmodes into the states of authenticity and inauthenticity. Heidegger startsfrom the human’s living structure in the world, and carrys out a detailedanalysis of the nature and reasons of falling, as well as ways to get rid offalling. A person who is in the state of falling exists in the world not ashis own but as the They. The essence of falling is escaping personalfreedom and responsibility. The They who exists in everywheredismounts individual affordable choice. The They has arrangedeverything for individuals. Dasein has two characteristics. The firstcharacteristic is that Dasein’s existence precedes its essence. The secondcharacteristic is that the Being which is an issue for Dasein in its veryBeing is always mine. These two characteristics are the conditions whichmake falling possible. The homeless state which threatens modern men’sspiritual world is the external conditions of falling. Seeking for a sense ofbelonging and escaping of responsibility are the psychological factors offalling. Heidegger proposes two ways to get rid of the state of falling:being-towards-death and the call of conscience. Both ways can helpDasein regain the state of authenticity. In the final analysis, if one is to get rid of falling, he must have the resoluteness. Heidegger does not putforward any universal moral principles.