(I) Habitation
Means Habituation
Men inhabit the world.
(—Hannah Arendt,
The Human Condition,
§.1)
What does this mean?
It means
(1)
that we inhabit the world.
that we inhabit the world.
The world is a matter of habit.
We are in the world in habituation.
We are in the world in habituation.
(2)
that the world inhabits us.
The world is in us who inhabit it.
Without us there is no world.
that the world inhabits us.
The world is in us who inhabit it.
Without us there is no world.
It follows that the world we inhabit
—and inhabits us—habituates us.
—and inhabits us—habituates us.
(II) Case of a
Thoughtless World
If the world we inhabit
—and inhabits us—
is thoughtless,
then this
thoughtlessness
habituates us
thoughtlessly.
—and inhabits us—
is thoughtless,
then this
thoughtlessness
habituates us
thoughtlessly.
In such a world,
because
thoughtlessness
is so habitual,
the inhabitants
are habituated
thereto, that
thoughtlessness is.
thoughtlessness
is so habitual,
the inhabitants
are habituated
thereto, that
thoughtlessness is.
Can habituation
be overcome?
be overcome?
Not in so far as
we inhabit the world.
(III) Thoughtful
Habituation
Habituation,
in a thoughtless world,
can nonetheless be
thoughtful.
can nonetheless be
thoughtful.
In thoughtful habituation,
the world's thoughtlessness
no longer habituates us
thoughtlessly.
no longer habituates us
thoughtlessly.
In thoughtful habituation,
the world's thoughtlessness
is to us no longer habitual.
the world's thoughtlessness
is to us no longer habitual.
How does thoughtful habituation
differ from thoughtless habituation?
differ from thoughtless habituation?
(IV) Mastered and
Masterful Habituations
In thoughtless habituation
our habits are thoughtless.
our habits are thoughtless.
If the world we inhabit
—and habituates us—
is thoughtless,
our habits become
thoughtless.
The world masters
our habits.
In thoughtful habituation,
our habits are thoughtful.
If the world we inhabit
—and habituates us—
is thoughtless,
our habits
do not become
thoughtless.
our habits are thoughtful.
If the world we inhabit
—and habituates us—
is thoughtless,
our habits
do not become
thoughtless.
Our habits master
the world.
(V) Mastery
Means Containment
Man is world-forming.
(—Martin Heidegger,
The Fundamental Concepts
of Metaphysics,
§.42)
One might add, following,
(1)
that man is man and not animal
(who is world-poor) when his
habituation is thoughtful,
for then his habits
master the world
and he is
world-forming.
He is world-forming
because his habits
master the world, i.e.
his habits contain the world
but the world does not
contain his habits.
that man is man and not animal
(who is world-poor) when his
habituation is thoughtful,
for then his habits
master the world
and he is
world-forming.
He is world-forming
because his habits
master the world, i.e.
his habits contain the world
but the world does not
contain his habits.
(Super Man)
(2)
that man is animal and not man
(who is world-forming) when his
habituation is thoughtless,
for then his habits
are mastered
by the world
and he is
world-poor.
He is world-poor
because the world
masters his habits, i.e.
the world contains his habits
but his habits contain no world.
and he is
world-poor.
He is world-poor
because the world
masters his habits, i.e.
the world contains his habits
but his habits contain no world.
(Last Man)