Individuality and Transcendence: Kierkegaar'S Influences on Heidegger'S Philosophy

Following my serial studies of exploring to the sources of Heidegger's thought, this project tries to examine the religious aspect and its sources of Heidegger's thought. According to the preceding study which has clarified the relation between Heidegger's concept of "Being" and his view of "God", if Heidegger's "Being" is really "God" of the traditional monotheism, then this study tries to elucidate the relationship between Dasein and "Being".This study first explicates the forming of the problem at issue in Heidegger's philosophy, namely: what Heidegger's so-called "Being" on earth is; why he does explore "Being" by way of Dasein as a specific being; how Heidegger does draw forth the relationship between Dasein and "Being" as his really most concern. Secondly, it attempts to seek for possibly relevant elements among Kierkegaard's works, and to extract ingredients of Kierkegaard's philosophy which could inspire Heidegger's thoughts; which include some analyzing descriptions of man's existence: "potentiality is higher than actuality", "truth is subjectivity", anxiety and despair, existence between "time and eternity", ...etc. At last, it comes back to the question how Heidegger does shape his own views by adopting Kierkegaard's positions, including: to emphasize "Dasein's possibility is more significant than its facticity", individuality and individualization, falling and anxiety, as well as its finitude by facing death and "Being"…etc. Concerning such aspects, Heidegger is clearly and profoundly motivated and influenced by Kierkegaard. This study wishes to deepen the understanding of philosophy of the both from these dimensions.