Heidegger: Plato & Metaphysics' Origin

Hey guys! Ever wondered where the whole concept of metaphysics actually began? It's a deep rabbit hole, and one name that pops up constantly is Martin Heidegger. This brilliant (and sometimes bewildering) philosopher had some pretty strong opinions about the history of Western thought, particularly concerning its origins. One of his key claims revolves around Plato's division of Being and Becoming, and Heidegger viewed this as a pivotal moment – the very beginning of metaphysics as we know it. Let's dive into this, shall we?

The Division of Being and Becoming: Plato's Groundbreaking Move

To understand Heidegger's perspective, we first need to grasp what Plato was getting at with his distinction between Being and Becoming. In a nutshell, Plato argued that the world we perceive with our senses – the world of change, motion, and decay – is a world of Becoming. Think of a flower blooming, then wilting; a person aging; a river flowing. These are all instances of things coming into being and passing away. This realm, according to Plato, is ultimately unstable and unreliable as a source of true knowledge.

But Plato didn't stop there. He posited another realm, a realm of Being. This is a realm of unchanging, eternal, and perfect Forms or Ideas. Think of the perfect circle, the perfect justice, the perfect beauty. These Forms are not physical objects; they are abstract concepts that exist independently of the physical world. For Plato, true knowledge comes from grasping these Forms, not from observing the fleeting phenomena of the world of Becoming. This separation is absolutely crucial because it sets the stage for a way of thinking that prioritizes the eternal and unchanging over the temporal and transient. This prioritization becomes a cornerstone of what Heidegger later critiques as metaphysics.

Plato's Theory of Forms, central to his concept of Being, suggests that the physical world is merely a shadow or imperfect reflection of a higher realm of perfect, eternal Forms. These Forms, such as Justice, Beauty, and Goodness, are the true objects of knowledge, existing independently of the physical world and our perceptions. This distinction between the realm of Forms (Being) and the physical world (Becoming) had a profound impact on Western philosophy, setting the stage for a metaphysical tradition that emphasizes the search for ultimate, unchanging realities. Understanding Plato's Theory of Forms is key to grasping Heidegger's critique, as it highlights the shift towards prioritizing abstract, eternal concepts over the concrete, temporal existence that Heidegger believed was essential to understanding Being. Plato's dualistic view, separating the world into the sensible and the intelligible, provided a framework for subsequent philosophical inquiries that sought to uncover the underlying essence of reality beyond the ever-changing phenomena we perceive. This framework, while influential, became the target of Heidegger's critique for its detachment from the fundamental experience of Being in the world. The emphasis on Forms as the ultimate reality led to a focus on abstract concepts and a neglect of the lived, temporal nature of human existence, a concern central to Heidegger's philosophical project. This division not only shaped metaphysics but also influenced epistemology and ethics, where the pursuit of true knowledge and moral virtue became intertwined with understanding and aligning oneself with the realm of Forms. Therefore, grasping Plato's distinction is not just about understanding his philosophy but also about understanding the trajectory of Western thought and Heidegger's critical response to it. The implications of this division reverberate through centuries of philosophical discourse, making it a crucial starting point for exploring Heidegger's claim about the beginning of metaphysics. Plato's move wasn't just a philosophical argument; it was a foundational shift in how we think about reality itself. And it's precisely this shift that Heidegger zeroes in on.

Heidegger's Critique: The Forgetting of Being

Now, here’s where Heidegger comes in, with his characteristic intensity! Heidegger didn't just see Plato's division as an interesting philosophical idea; he saw it as the beginning of a fundamental problem in Western thought. He argued that by prioritizing Being over Becoming, Plato initiated a process of what Heidegger calls the “forgetting of Being.” What does that mean, you might ask?

Heidegger's concept of the