On what is NOT Thinking

[Magical Realist]

"In The Word of Nietzsche: 'God is Dead,' Heidegger claims thought must move away from emphasising objective conceptualisation to take seriously alternative, non-conceptual modes of thinking. As he puts it, 'thinking begins only when we have come to know that reason, glorified for centuries, is the most stiff-necked adversary of thought' (1977: 61). Similarly, in What is Called Thinking?, Heidegger claims being is not capable of being understood if we start with the notion that only conceptual thought counts as knowledge (1968: 179). Heidegger wants to not only open thought to alternative, non-conceptual modes of thinking, but to also get thought to recognise these alternatives are legitimate and justified. As being 'is' universal, fluid, dynamic, and historical so too must thought move in these directions. Only by recognising, opening itself to, and taking seriously non conceptual thinking will thought be able to engage with being on being's own terms. Only non-philosophy, which does not entail a valorisation of science or any other so-called humanity, but genuine, meditative thinking, can open thought to being in the way that does not impose itself on being and reveals being as being reveals itself to thought (Krzystof 2008 : 251)

In other words, Heidegger's view is that 'being' cannot be understood solely through conceptual thought, with which he identifies reason. Non-conceptual ways of thinking are also requisite. Being is too 'fluid, dynamic, and historical' to be captured, penetrated, by static, inflexible conceptual thinking. This is hardly unambiguously clear but Heidegger's broad point is one that we can make some sense of."----