From the Philosophy of Language back to Thinking: A journey towards a Heideggerian understanding of language

Abstract

This work examines the works of Heidegger in order to search for an understanding of the nature of language. The understanding sought is not assumed at the start; that is, no assumptions are made about what language might be, or even if language is at all, as such. Heidegger declared that language is beyond the philosophy of language that he understood, but, if not the understanding of language that is studied and examined generally, how did he believe we should understand language? This work attempts to address that question. It allows Heidegger to indicate a path towards an understanding of language, but tries to make no assumptions, not only of where the path leads, but even of the nature of the path itself.