An interpretation of Heidegger's dialogue with eastern thought

Han, Xiaoqiang (1997) An interpretation of Heidegger's dialogue with eastern thought. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This thesis is an investigation of the significance of Heidegger's dialogue with Eastern thought. I attempt to show that this dialogue is primarily concerned with a unique subject matter, namely, overcoming the forgetfulness of Being. The forgetfulness of Being, characterized by Heidegger as the essence of Western metaphysics, has become the destiny of the world in the form of global technologization. As basically non-metaphysical, traditional Eastern thought can exemplify the consequences of the end of philosophy or the overcoming of metaphysics. However, I argue that Heidegger's dialogue with the East is not meant to seek an alternative to Western philosophy, but to bring about a critical reflection of both Western and Eastern thought in regard to their different ways of forgetfulness of Being. My discussion throughout the thesis focuses on the question how Being in the primordial sense, which transformed into a metaphysical concept in Western philosophy, vanished in the ontological indifference of Eastern thought from the very start. The linguistic comparison of both Western languages and Chinese, and the discussion of two major philosophical notions in Heidegger and Eastern thought - the nothing and releasement- make it plain that the true meaning of Being and of ontological difference is not only covered by Western metaphysics, but also dissolved in the distinctively non-metaphysical thinking of the East.

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