Skip to main content
Log in

jThe Birth of Difference

  • Published:
Human Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although birth marks the entrance of a human being into the world and establishes the very possibility of experience the philosophical implications of this event have been largely ignored in the history of thought. This is particularly troubling in phenomenology in general and in the work of Martin Heidegger in particular. While Heidegger raises the issue of birth he drops it very quickly on the path to defining Dasein's existence as constituted from the standpoint of death, as being-towards-death. In this paper I argue, contra Heidegger, that intentional existence can only be understood from the standpoint of birth. I begin by showing that intentionality inheres in a double difference that is fundamentally dependent on birth insofar as birth is an original differentiating from prenatal existence. I conclude with the argument that only a philosophy that regards Dasein from the standpoint of birth, as being-from-birth, can give an adequate account of humans as beings who live with others and who can initiate sense constitution and action.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anders, G. (1980). Die Antiquiertheit des Menschen, Vol. 2: Uber die Zerstörung des Lebens im Zeitalter der dritten industriellen Revolution. München: Verlag Beck.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arendt, H. (1958). The Human Condition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derrida, J. (1987). Geschlecht: différence sexuelle, différence ontologique. In Psyché. Paris: Éditions Galilée.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heidegger, M. (1979). Sein und Zeit. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Held, K. (1981). Phänomenologie der Zeit nach Husserl. In R. Berlinger, R. Fink, F. Kaulbach, W. Schrader, Perspektiven der Philosophie, Neues Jahrbuch, Vol. 7. Hildesheim: Gerstenberg Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merleau-Ponty, M. (1962). Phenomenology of Perception. Trans. C. Smith. London: Routledge & Kegan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saner, H. (1987) Geburt und Phantasie. Basel: Lenos Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schues, C. (1992). Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty: Being-in-the-World with Others? In C. Macann (Ed.), Heidegger: Critical Assessments. London: Routledge & Kegan.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schües, C. jThe Birth of Difference. Human Studies 20, 243–252 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005328719005

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005328719005

Keywords

Navigation