Dasein as Becoming

This is one of the most intriguing and engaging lectures I have delivered to students with varying levels of preparation. The minimal prerequisite is some familiarity with Heidegger’s material, specifically a reading of Being and Time and the essay On the Essence of Truth. Additionally, a basic understanding of Hegel, Žižek, and Lacan can be helpful.

In this lecture, I offer my interpretation of Dasein as a torn opening to a curtain that separates the self-conscious subject from Evolutionary Truth, understood as primordial subjectivity. The potential maximal opening that can be torn (inauthentic Dasein) expands with each passing moment, ultimately reaching its culmination with physical death. However, the actualized opening depends on transforming the inauthentic Dasein into authentic Dasein through self-reflection. This transformation correlates with becoming increasingly self-conscious over time. Thus, Dasein, in its essence, is not merely being but is fundamentally becoming.

Many students who have studied Heidegger before have expressed relief after this lecture. They often remark that they had intuitively held similar ideas about Dasein but had not previously articulated or conceptualized them in this way.

When seeking to understand selfhood, it is essential first to consider what precedes it: existence. Heidegger's concept of Dasein provides a valuable framework for analyzing existence and one's relationship to it.

Regarding Dasein, we must first avoid conceptualizing it in terms of a subject-object relationship with the world, as the world itself is integral to the experience of being. Dasein and the world are fundamentally interconnected. The world does not exist independently of our understanding but is brought into being through Dasein's comprehension, emerging out of "nothingness" (das Nichts) through the process of temporalization.


World as a construct of Dasein

What does this mean? It highlights that Dasein and the world exist only in relation to one another. Dasein, or "being-there," is the entity uniquely capable of understanding and experiencing the world. Heidegger emphasizes that the world is not an independent entity but rather arises through Dasein's interpretive understanding. In this sense, the world is a construct of Dasein's engagement and interpretation. Without Dasein, there would be no world.

Moreover, the process of temporalization—the unfolding of time that makes the world intelligible—can only occur through Dasein. As Dasein, we are the beings capable of experiencing and participating in this temporal process. It is through Dasein that the world comes into being. Without Dasein, there would be no temporalization, and consequently, no world.


What is Dasein?

What, then, is Dasein? One can argue that Dasein is human in the sense of humanity's unique ability to understand its being. Dasein is characterized by a mode of being fundamentally distinct from the existence of objects or things in the world. It possesses the capacity to reflect on its existence and contemplate being. As human beings, we can grasp our existence in the world and engage with the question of being. Thus, Dasein can be seen as a "ground" within oneself, disclosed through self-reflection. However, this conceptualization is incomplete, as it may lead to the misconception that Dasein is synonymous with being human or that it is fixed and unchanging.

We proposed that Dasein is a "ground" within oneself. To assert that Dasein is not fixed, we must also acknowledge that this "ground" is dynamic, constantly expanding throughout one's life. In this sense, as human beings, we "have" Dasein because it resides "within us." However, as we will soon explore, this does not guarantee that we fully realize or even comprehend Dasein. While Dasein is inherently "on the way" toward something (namely, death) and continually unfolds within us, it remains merely "potential" if we neglect the task of self-understanding.

Now, let us consider Being as an absolute (Absolute Being). Humans can understand their lifespan as a "line," stretching from point A (birth) to point B (death)—a mode of being that Heidegger refers to as "being-towards-death." Conceptualizing this span (A to B) in relation to the totality of Being (Absolute Being) creates a unique, individual "space" that we may call selfhood. This selfhood is an inherited property that connects us to Being through our ability to perceive our temporality. In other words, we possess selfhood because we can reflect on our lifespan and anticipate our death.

This selfhood forms the "ground" within which Dasein resides. However, both selfhood and Dasein, as part of the Being within selfhood, exist only as potential. We have the profound potential to comprehend Being (through Dasein) and, more immediately, to understand ourselves as Dasein.

As Dasein, we are entities uniquely capable of understanding and experiencing the world and existence. Yet Dasein is not merely a given; it has the potential to exist authentically. Authentic existence requires actively engaging with the possibilities of one's being, including the recognition of one's mortality and temporality. However, this potential is often unrealized, as we frequently choose to exist inauthentically, avoiding the deeper understanding of ourselves and our relationship with Being.


The potential of Dasein in relation to Authenticity

However, we need to be more precise. Although we, as Dasein, have not a priori realized our potential to become authentic to any extent, we are aware of the existence of that potential. Dasein becomes aware of itself when it is "thrown" into the world and is fundamentally concerned with its existence. Heidegger states: "The fundamental character of the being of Dasein is therefore first adequately grasped in determination, an entity which is in to-be-it-at-its-time." Thus, the concept of selfhood is inherent to Dasein through its throwness, with temporality and historicity. This is why Heidegger asserts that "the phenomenal motive for calling this entity we ourselves are Dasein (as 'to be there')."

The fact of birth marks the beginning of "knowing" about our selfhood (provided the individual is born with sufficient mental capability). However, our self-reflective abilities are initially limited, and they develop further once we acquire language. Language is a fundamental aspect of human existence that enables Dasein to understand and make sense of the world. Through language, Dasein reflects on its existence; by using language, we begin to explain ourselves to ourselves and initiate the process of individuation through self-reflection.


"Inauthentic Dasein" vs. "Authentic Dasein"

Thus, we can assert that the inauthentic Dasein within us represents unrealized potential, a form of "nothingness." It is characterized by a failure to actualize our possibilities and a lack of individuality. It is essential to distinguish between the "inauthentic Dasein" as unused potential and the "authentic Dasein" as the capacity to understand ourselves, the world, and our existence.

A logical question arises: how can we realize this (growing) potential? The answer lies in the process of self-reflection. Self-reflection enables us to achieve this potential, as it reveals the truth about ourselves to ourselves. Through self-reflection, one discloses and illuminates selfhood, thereby becoming aware of oneself as authentic Dasein.

From this, we can conclude the following:

1) Dasein is our selfhood.

2) The availability of our selfhood to us depends on our reflectivity.

3) Our reflectivity is a capability rooted in our unique temporality.

Self-reflection a tool to “reveal” Dasein

Suppose one does not engage in self-reflection, which can lead to self-awareness and self-realization. In that case, one may live an entire life without becoming fully aware of oneself as Dasein (or only becoming aware of it to a lesser extent than possible), despite having the potential for such awareness. Often, such individuals live under "slave mentality," (per Nietzsche) conforming to societal norms, caught in the everydayness of life, and remaining in a pre-reflective state.

The entirety of our selfhood constitutes the Dasein within us, while the portion revealed through self-reflection is the authentic Dasein. By default, the Dasein embedded in our selfhood is inauthentic, while the disclosed part—the part we become aware of through self-reflection—is the authentic Dasein. This revealed aspect of selfhood represents our active engagement with our potential.


The concept of “growing” Dasein as potential to expand authentic Dasein

The reason Dasein is best understood as a process rather than a fixed state, experience, mode of being, or being (human or otherwise) is rooted in the very nature of life. Heidegger states, "Dasein stretches along between birth and death." With every moment, the unique span of our existence—the line from birth (A) to death (B)—extends, creating a greater "tear" in Absolute Being and expanding the potential to disclose more of our selfhood and Dasein (as authentic Dasein) through self-reflection.

This underscores that our core subjectivity is not a fixed state. It emerges as a result of an ongoing, lifelong process of interpreting our being to ourselves—a process of becoming or individuation that differentiates us from the world and others. The potential to interpret ourselves continues to grow, often outpacing our ability to render it fully comprehensible, until the moment of death. This constant unfolding of selfhood means that our authenticity, achieved through individuation via self-reflection, is also in a state of becoming. At our core, we are not static subjects but dynamic processes. The older we grow, the greater our potential understanding of Being becomes—if, and only if, we are able to engage in meaningful self-reflection.


Our inability to achieve "absolute authenticity”

This understanding also explains why the concept of "absolute authenticity" is impossible concerning Dasein. To achieve absolute authenticity, the potential of Dasein would need to cease expanding, which could only occur when the span between birth and death no longer grows—that is, at the moment of physical death. Consequently, "absolute authenticity" can only coincide with death. However, this also renders the comprehension of an "absolutely authentic" Dasein impossible, as the process of self-reflection, through which selfhood is disclosed, ends with death. Heidegger reflects this when he states, "Death prevents me from having and experiencing my own Dasein in its wholeness."

One could even claim that experiencing Dasein's "absolute authenticity" is doubly impossible. Heidegger explains that "the being of Dasein is care"; care implies "being out for something," meaning that Dasein is oriented "toward what it still is not" (in caring, Dasein is directed toward itself as that which it has not yet become). This means that "Dasein is always incomplete"—it is continually lacking something as long as it exists. However, when Dasein is complete (in death), nothing more remains outstanding for it, and it ceases to be Dasein. As Heidegger puts it: "its wholeness makes it vanish."

From this, we can conclude that Dasein's "absolute authenticity" can never be achieved: we cannot experience it, and even if we could, what we would be experiencing would no longer be Dasein. This reasoning is why, in our model, authentic Dasein resides at the subjectivity level "S0," where our primordial understanding of ourselves as becoming is partially rooted in the Evolutionary Truth.



Alignment with Hegel, Jung, Nietzsche, Žižek, Lacan, and others

Žižek referred to the (lifelong) process of disclosure as "subjective destitution." He stated, "the subject's 'destitution' is not a state to be overcome, but an ongoing process, an eternal task." Lacan’s theory similarly emphasizes that our sense of self is always "in a state of flux," constantly reshaped by external factors. The process of individuation is complex and ongoing, influenced by an individual's experiences, relationships, and cultural and social context. It involves integrating the conscious and unconscious aspects of the self while separating from the Symbolic Order. Both Žižek and Lacan (as do countless other scholars) reject the notion of individuation as a final destination; instead, they view it as an ongoing journey toward a more authentic and integrated sense of self. Žižek captures this idea succinctly by referencing Hegel: "individuation is not a state of being, but a process of becoming, an ongoing dialectical tension."

Nietzsche complements this perspective by asserting that "the individual who is able to reflect on their own actions and motivations, and who is willing to question the values and beliefs of their culture or society, is the one who is truly free." He believed that taking responsibility and striving to become more than one was yesterday is key to self-fulfillment and individuation. Jung shares a similar view, emphasizing that individuation is a natural process requiring a lifetime of effort and self-discovery.

The concept of selfhood revealed through self-reflection aligns with Hegel's statement: "The particular is not a limitation of the universal, but rather it is the manifestation of the universal in a specific form." This captures the relationship between the infinite (Absolute Being) and the finite (Authentic Dasein). Similarly, Heidegger states: "If we take 'eternity' to mean not infinite temporal duration but timelessness, then eternal life belongs to those who live in the present. Our life has no end in just the way in which our visual field has no limits."

One could argue that Heidegger contrasts the Kantian transcendental idealism, which leads to a spurious infinity, with Hegel's absolute idealism, which captures True Infinity within the subject. Applying Hegel's concept of the negation of the negation to Dasein, one might argue that Dasein is infinite within the finite, as Being is infinite. Dasein, as a manifestation of Absolute Being, is temporal and finite. However, Dasein's finite being-in-the-world allows it to experience the infinite and eternal aspects of Being.


Un-concealment process and returning to the Truth

In other words, Dasein is a finite entity continually in a state of change and development, but its connection to Being enables it to engage with the infinite and eternal. This duality—of the finite and the infinite—is a central aspect of Dasein's existence. As Hegel’s dialectical method and the concept of the negation of the negation suggest, the infinite is not separate from the finite but resides "within" it. Thus, the infinite is "in" the finite, revealing itself through the finite’s engagement with Being.

This perspective aligns with viewing Dasein as becoming—a process. We can argue that Hegel's dialectics and reflexive determination are analogous to the process of Dasein's journey toward authenticity. Thus, authentic Dasein cannot be seen as a static object moving along a scale of "authenticity" but rather as a dynamic process of un-concealment of Absolute Being within ourselves.

From the standpoint of Dasein's existence or being-in-the-world, we must also recognize the distinction between Heidegger's intention and Hegel's more rational conceptualization of the Absolute within the particular. Heidegger critiques both Kantian and Hegelian approaches as insufficient for understanding being in its fullness. He argues that eternity should not be understood as an infinite temporal duration but rather as timelessness—achieved by living fully in the present. In this sense, Heidegger views Hegel's Absolute as a conceptual framework, a means to an end, which lacks the lived immediacy he emphasizes.

For Heidegger, the critical step is not just to understand these concepts but to internalize and apply this understanding by transforming how we live. He asserts, "eternal life belongs to those who live in the present." It is through self-reflection and the illumination of our selfhood that we can become authentic Dasein and experience Being. Individuation alone—our ability to conceptualize ourselves—is not enough. We must live fully present and actively engage with the world in the here and now.

What can we take from this? Individuation, the process of becoming a distinct, self-relating individual, involves differentiating oneself from others and from one's social and cultural environment. This is both possible and necessary. However, it is only through self-discovery and self-realization — achieved over a lifetime — that we accept and integrate our unique characteristics and qualities.

Recognizing that knowing ourselves is a process, not a destination, offers clarity. We can never be fully "ready" or entirely authentic, but we can shift our approach to life by focusing on experiencing Being in each moment. Each moment carries immense value. In essence, Being is becoming.