Exploring the Nothing in Relation to Meister Eckhart’s God and Martin Heidegger’s Being
This paper aims to establish a parallel between Meister Eckhart’s statement that ‘God is Nothing’ and Martin Heidegger’s claim that ‘Being is Nothing.’ By observing a pattern of negation in the thought of both thinkers I will ultimately suggest that in these statements, they have reached the same co...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group
2021
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| In: |
Medieval mystical theology
Year: 2021, Volume: 30, Issue: 1, Pages: 37-46 |
| Further subjects: | B
Negation
B Transcendence B (in)distinction B God B Nothing B Being |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This paper aims to establish a parallel between Meister Eckhart’s statement that ‘God is Nothing’ and Martin Heidegger’s claim that ‘Being is Nothing.’ By observing a pattern of negation in the thought of both thinkers I will ultimately suggest that in these statements, they have reached the same conclusion. To observe negation in Eckhart I will examine his principle of indistinct distinction, which ultimately negates negation itself; for Heidegger I will consider the ontological difference between Being and beings, which too must necessarily be negated to disclose the Nothing. One key distinction that I aim to demonstrate between the two thinkers is how each considers the pertinence of the Nothing in human experience. For Eckhart, our experience of the Nothing has a unifying role, whereas for Heidegger it remains wholly repellent, in the literal sense of ‘driving back.’ Moreover, beyond the particulars of Eckhart and Heidegger, I will aim to defend the legitimacy of the Nothing as a philosophical concept. |
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| ISSN: | 2046-5734 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Medieval mystical theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/20465726.2021.1923244 |