Monday, April 13, 2009

Language and Saying as Showing

Thus far we have recognized that we need an experience with language in order to understand language better. "Instead of explaining language in terms of one thing or another, and thus running away from it, the way to language intends to let language be experienced as language" (pg 119). How, might one ask, does one let language be experienced as language? Heidegger writes "The essential being of language is Saying as Showing. Its showing character is not based on signs of any kind; rather, all signs arise from a showing within whose realm and for whose purposes they can be signs" (pg 123). To understand this passage it helps to have a better understanding of what Heidegger means by Saying and Showing. It is important to show that the word "Saying" is as Heidegger writes "like so many other words in our language, (we have a tendency today to use it) mostly in a disparaging sense (pg 123). Here is where I have a question. After reading, I do not feel that I understand completely what is meant by "Saying" and "Showing" in today's reading. I recognize that they are important concepts and that they each have a veneer that I cannot completely get past. I hope we can address this in class, I'm sure we will.

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