Heidegger’s concept of conscience is one of his most important and controversial ideas. Conscience, for Heidegger, is the voice of Being itself, the call of the human being to be true to its own essence. In this essay, we will explore Heidegger’s understanding of conscience, its relationship to authenticity and guilt, and the implications of this concept for our understanding of human existence.
According to Heidegger, conscience is the voice of Being, the call of the human being to be true to its own essence. It is the voice that speaks to us from the depths of our being, reminding us of who we truly are and what we are meant to be. Heidegger sees conscience as a fundamental aspect of human existence, one that sets us apart from all other beings.
For Heidegger, conscience is not simply a moral sense, a set of rules or principles that we should follow. Rather, conscience is an ontological category, a fundamental aspect of human existence that shapes the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Conscience is not something that we have or possess, but rather something that we are. It is the ground of our being, the foundation upon which our entire existence is built.
Heidegger sees conscience as closely connected to authenticity. Authenticity, for Heidegger, is the state of being true to oneself, of living in accordance with one’s own essence. In order to be authentic, one must listen to the voice of conscience and act in accordance with its call. Authenticity is not something that can be achieved once and for all, but rather an ongoing process of self-discovery and self-creation.
However, Heidegger also sees conscience as closely connected to guilt. Guilt, for Heidegger, is not a feeling of remorse for having done something wrong, but rather the recognition of our own failure to live up to our own essence. Guilt arises when we fail to heed the call of conscience, when we betray our own authentic selves. Guilt, therefore, is not a negative emotion to be avoided, but rather an essential part of the process of self-discovery and self-creation.
Heidegger’s understanding of conscience has important implications for our understanding of human existence. If conscience is the voice of Being, then it is not simply a human construct, but rather something that is deeply ingrained in the very structure of reality itself. Conscience is not simply a matter of personal preference or social convention, but rather a fundamental aspect of the way the world is.
Furthermore, Heidegger’s understanding of conscience challenges the traditional understanding of morality as a set of rules or principles that we should follow. Instead, Heidegger sees morality as arising from our fundamental relationship to Being itself. Moral action is not something that we do in order to conform to a set of external standards, but rather an expression of our own authentic selves, an affirmation of our own relationship to the world around us.
In conclusion, Heidegger’s concept of conscience is a complex and controversial idea that challenges many of our assumptions about human existence and morality. Conscience, for Heidegger, is not simply a moral sense or set of rules, but rather the voice of Being itself, the call of the human being to be true to its own essence. Conscience is closely connected to authenticity and guilt, and has important implications for our understanding of human existence and moral action.