Martin Heidegger's The Origin Of The Work Of Art
Martin Heidegger is a very well respected philosopher who made great advances, specifically in the field of Metaphysics. While he is most well-known for his novel, Being and Time, his work in Basic Writings cannot be oversold. While much of Heidegger’s work focuses on the presence and existence of being, “The Origin of the Work of Art” manipulates how the being affects society. This particular essay of Heidegger’s examines not just how the work of art came to be, but the existence of truth along with things and artwork, which is different than simply art. Throughout this essay, I will examine the multi-faceted idea of a work of art as presented by Heidegger.
“The Origin of the Work of Art” begins by attempting to define the relationship between …show more content…
This is because the essence of an artwork is so quintessential to understanding the essence of art. This would be manageable, except the same is true in reverse as well. In more simple terms, the two are very reliant on one another for understanding. An individual should have knowledge of an art’s essence, but as you cannot grasp the essence of the artwork and without the essence of artwork you cannot understand the essence of art. This phenomenon is explained by the Hermeneutic Circle, a concept that began in Germany. Heidegger explains it by saying, “Thus we are compelled to follow the circle. To enter upon this path is the strength of thought, to continue on it…every separate step that attempt circles in this circle” (Heidegger, 144). The concept of this everlasting circle is that it is impossible to understand art or a work of art without each other. In a macro sense, it’s like telling a story. In order to understand the plot of a novel, it’s important to read the entire thing, and after reading the entire novel the reader is able to pick up on nuances of foreshadowing, etc. This is similar, although more complex because works of art are not a finite collection of words. Because of this, if an individual ever wishes to overcome the circle, they must define one of terms that would cease the creation of the “circles in this circle.” In the context of a work of art, the only way to stop the circle is to define either art or the artwork in
“The Origin of the Work of Art” begins by attempting to define the relationship between …show more content…
This is because the essence of an artwork is so quintessential to understanding the essence of art. This would be manageable, except the same is true in reverse as well. In more simple terms, the two are very reliant on one another for understanding. An individual should have knowledge of an art’s essence, but as you cannot grasp the essence of the artwork and without the essence of artwork you cannot understand the essence of art. This phenomenon is explained by the Hermeneutic Circle, a concept that began in Germany. Heidegger explains it by saying, “Thus we are compelled to follow the circle. To enter upon this path is the strength of thought, to continue on it…every separate step that attempt circles in this circle” (Heidegger, 144). The concept of this everlasting circle is that it is impossible to understand art or a work of art without each other. In a macro sense, it’s like telling a story. In order to understand the plot of a novel, it’s important to read the entire thing, and after reading the entire novel the reader is able to pick up on nuances of foreshadowing, etc. This is similar, although more complex because works of art are not a finite collection of words. Because of this, if an individual ever wishes to overcome the circle, they must define one of terms that would cease the creation of the “circles in this circle.” In the context of a work of art, the only way to stop the circle is to define either art or the artwork in