Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Modified translation
Francis Petruccelli
Catholic Univeristy of America
Washington, DC
Draft (last edited August 29, 2015)
Please send me comments and suggestions: francis.petruccelli@gmail.com
The primary interlocutor in the question about
the meaning of be-ing is the being with the
character of Dasein. The preparatory existential
analytic of Dasein, because of its peculiarity,
requires a preliminary exposition, and needs to
be distinguished from investigations with
which it may seem to run together (Chapter 1).
Adhering to our established point of departure,
we must lay out a fundamental structure of
Dasein: be-ing-in-the-world (Chapter 2). This
a priori for interpreting Dasein is not
something pieced together, but rather is a
primordial and constantly integral structure. It
affords us, however, various views of its
constitutive moments. While constantly
keeping in view the prior totality of this
structure, these moments will be lifted out as
phenomena, so that the following become
objects of our analysis: the world in its
worldliness (chapter 3); being-in-the-world as
be-ing-with and being-ones-self (chapter 4);
be-ing-in as such (chapter 5). It is possible on
the basis of the analysis of these fundamental
structures to give a provisional indication of
the be-ing of Dasein. Daseins existential
meaning is care (chapter 6).
Erstes Kapitel
Die Exposition der Aufgabe einer
vorbereitenden Analyse des Daseins
First Chapter
Exposition of the Task, A Preparatory
Analysis of Dasein
seinem eigenen Sein uberantwortet. Das Sein ist handed over to their own be-ing. Be-ing is that
which is at issue for these beings. This
es, darum es diesem Seienden je selbst geht.
characteristic of Dasein affords a double result:
Aus dieser Charakteristik des Daseins ergibt
sich ein Doppeltes:
1. The essence of this being lies in its having1. Das Wesen dieses Seienden liegt in seinem to-be. This beings whatness (essence), insofar
as we can speak about it at all, has to be
Zu-sein. Das Was-sein (essentia) dieses
grasped according to its be-ing (existence).
Seienden mu, sofern uberhaupt davon
Accordingly, it is precisely the ontological task
gesprochen werden kann, aus seinem Sein
to show that when we choose the designation
(existentia) begriffen werden. Dabei ist es
Existenz for the be-ing of these beings, the title
gerade die ontologische Aufgabe zu zeigen,
da, wenn wir fur das Sein dieses Seienden die does not and cannot have the signification of
the traditional term; existentia ontologically
Bezeichnung Exi- stenz wahlen, dieser Titel
says nothing but be-ing-extant, a way of be-ing
nicht die ontologische Bedeutung des
which is not appropriate for beings with the
uberlieferten Terminus existentia hat und
character of Dasein. We avoid confusion by
haben kann; existentia besagt ontologisch
soviel wie Vorhandensein, eine Seinsart, die dem always using the interpretive expression
extantness for existentia and using Existenz to
Seienden vom Charakter des Daseins
pick out the general way of be-ing of Dasein.
wesensmaig nicht zukommt. Eine Verwirrung
wird dadurch vermieden, da wir fur den Titel
existentia immer den interpretierenden
The essence of Dasein lies in its Existenz.
Ausdruck Vorhandenheit gebrauchen und
Accordingly, the characteristics exhibitable by
Existenz als Seinsbestimmung allein dem
these beings are not extant properties of
Dasein zuweisen.
some extant being appearing thus and so.
Rather, in each case they are possible ways of
be-ing and only that. Every be-ing-thus of
these beings is primarily be-ing. Thus the name
Dasein, which marks out these beings, does
not express its whatlike table, house, tree
but rather its be-ing.