The Indefiniteness of Death – Part 1 (BT 258) (2025) Tablo Noël Van Hoof tarafından

Martin Heidegger – Being and Time – BT 258

One says, “Death certainly comes, but not right away”. With this 'but not right away”. With this 'but . . .', the “they” denies that death is certain. 'Not right away' is not a purely negative assertion, but a way in which the “they” interprets itself. With this interpretation, the “they” refers itself to that which is proximally accessible to Dasein and amendable to its concern. Everydayness forces its way into the urgency of concern, and divests itself of the fetters of a weary 'inactive thinking about death'. Death is deferred to 'sometime later', and this is done by invoking the so-called 'general opinion' [“allgemeine Ermessen”]. Thus the “they” covers up what is peculiar in death's certainty – that it is possible at any moment. Along with the certainty of death goes the indefiniteness by conferring definiteness upon it. But such a procedure cannot signify calculating when the demise is due to arrive. In the face of definiteness such as this, Dasein would sooner flee. Everyday concern makes definite for itself the indefiniteness of certain death by interposing before it those urgencies and possibilities which can be taken in at a glance, and which belong to the everyday matters that are closest to us.
But when this indefiniteness has been covered up, the certainty has been covered up too. Thus death's ownmost character as a possibility gets veiled – a possibility which is certain and at the same time indefinite – that is to say, possible at any moment.

(Translation by John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson)

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