Jacek Surzyn
He received PhD in 2000 at the University of Silesia on the basis of the work entitled: "The dispute over the real distinction between essence and existence at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries". He researches the metaphysics of the middle ages, theology and political philosophy, Judaism, and Zionism. In 2012, he obtained habilitation on the basis of the dissertation "Considerations over the status of theology. Analysis of the Prologue from Reportatio Parisiensis by Jan Duns Scotus ”.
I translated also texts of philosophy and political philosophy (including Zionism) from German, Latin, Hebrew and Yiddish. Important translations include: Theodor Herzl's classic text "The Jewish State" ("Der Judenstaat") - published by the Austeria Publishing House (in 2006), "My Ontology" by Salomon Majmon, "Dialogues" by Wilhelm Ockham (Kęty, 2005), "Theorems about existence and essence" by Idzi Rzymianin (Kęty: Marek Derewiecki Publishing House, 2006), "Metafizyka" by Alexander Baumgarten (Kęty: Marek Derewiecki Publishing House, 2012). In 2018, he published book entitled "From the events of Being. Essays on" Contributions to the philosophy" of Martin Heidegger" (published by University of Silesia). In 2020, he published a monograph entitled "" Return to the Promised Land. Birth and Philosophical Foundations of Zionism "(published by Peter Lang Verlag).
I translated also texts of philosophy and political philosophy (including Zionism) from German, Latin, Hebrew and Yiddish. Important translations include: Theodor Herzl's classic text "The Jewish State" ("Der Judenstaat") - published by the Austeria Publishing House (in 2006), "My Ontology" by Salomon Majmon, "Dialogues" by Wilhelm Ockham (Kęty, 2005), "Theorems about existence and essence" by Idzi Rzymianin (Kęty: Marek Derewiecki Publishing House, 2006), "Metafizyka" by Alexander Baumgarten (Kęty: Marek Derewiecki Publishing House, 2012). In 2018, he published book entitled "From the events of Being. Essays on" Contributions to the philosophy" of Martin Heidegger" (published by University of Silesia). In 2020, he published a monograph entitled "" Return to the Promised Land. Birth and Philosophical Foundations of Zionism "(published by Peter Lang Verlag).
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Books by Jacek Surzyn
Against this background, an extraordinary work of Heidegger reveals itself, a work which is covered by a tight veil of mystery. It was created during the apparent time of stagnation and lack of publishing activity towards the end of
153
the thirties, which was also right after the unfortunate engagement of the phi losopher with Nazism. The work in question is Contributions to Philosophy (Of the Event), whose significance in Heidegger’s world cannot be overestimated. It was created between 1936 and 1938. Heidegger never directly mentioned it, nor did he ever make any references, he wished, however, for it to be published posthu mously. The will of the philosopher was respected – The Contributions... were pub lished in 1989 and immediately evoked great, even sensational interest. Perhaps the work of a lifetime of the Master of Germany has been published, a work which directs towards the essence of his thought. The Contributions... constitute a foun dation of Heidegger’s “turn,” i.e. the departure from the project of fundamental ontology and pursuing a path delineated by the “dark PreSocratic philosophers” and the mysterious Hölderlin – their poetic representative in modern times. In other words, The Contributions... are a way towards the deeper strata of reality for the purpose of building something in the shape of “nonmetaphysical” philosophy, based on the direct “event” of being itself. The present monograph is devoted to demonstrating that way. While describing the path, one wanders through fugues: der Anklang – “the Reasoning,” das Zuspiel – “the Interplay,” der Sprung – “the Leap,” die Gründung – “the Grounding,” die Zukünftigen – “the Future Ones,” der letzte Gott – “the Last God.” Nevertheless, the book is not devoted to the description of individ ual fugues, but to extracting “joinings” – elements out of which such a way can be built. This idea determines the structure of the book, as it is divided into chapters where the extracted “joinings” are brought forth.
The work is composed of five chapters. Chapter I, entitled Ereignis-the event, which opens the discussion, relates to the main motif of Heidegger’s thinking on being, i.e. “the event.” Chapter II, entitled The Fugue of being, the meaning of fugue perspective on being is presented and the resulting consequences are demon strated. Chaper II, entitled The Metaphysics of beings and the metaphysics of being is an attempt at describing the fundamental for Heidegger’s thought division of philosophy into the “metaphysical” tradition focused on beings, which is rejected by the author, and the suggested path towards the Being itself which reveals itself in the event.
The next, fourth chapter, entitled Faith and knowledge, is an attempt at a per spective towards the distinction between knowledge and faith, presented in The Contributions... – two ways of gazing at what “is,” which have been shaped in the history of philosophy by the known division into theology and philosophy. Finally, the fifth chapter, entitled The last god is an attempt at “adjoining” Heidegger’s reflection over the event of being through relating to the experience of “divinity” which Heidegger understood in a particular manner. God and divinity, deprived of the sacred and religious character, express for the philosopher the deepest desire and perhaps the deepest sense of human existence. Only a God Can Save Us was the title of the famous interview with Heidegger conducted by Spiegel’s edi tor in chief, published (accordingly with the philosopher’s clearly expressed will)
154
posthumously. The motif of “the last god” in Contributions... may serve as a kind of adhesive (this is one of the meanings of fugue) for the entirety of the conducted reflections.
The esoteric character of Heidegger’s work leads through an untrodden trail of eventing of Being, which, at certain moments, reveals itself in its true nature, that is, clears for Dasein prepared for this exceptional experience. The power of influence of Being indicates a change, a reversal of relation: man turns from a seeker of Being – the true foundation, the philosophical source – into a “reciever” of Being which clears in eventing. Man as Da-sein turns into a guardian, a shep herd of being – he guards Being, returns to a different, proper beginning. Contri- butions... emerge from the very eventing of Being and through the fugual character attempt to capture the dynamic character of their uncovering – the essencing of the truth of Being. These reflections of Heidegger, filled with mystical inspiration, confuse the reader in a certain way: The Contributions... are so remote in terms of form from the specific language that Heidegger uses in his other texts, that they invoke a lot of doubts.
Nevertheless, a careful reading of the work discloses its depth and clarity, which leads to the conclusion that The Contributions... are not a collection of cha otic reflections cast onto paper to stabilize the dynamic revealing of the mystery of being. It attempts to direct the alert observer towards Being itself, to imple ment its secret, to somehow revert the reader to the very beginning. It does so through a “mood,” as philosophy is, according to Heidegger, the proper attune ment – the wonder postulated at the beginning of the philosophical thought does not illustrate the proper, true attitude which must shape itself in attunement dif ficult to define, certainly not “conceptual and forcing constant “attention.”
The philosophy presented in The Contributions... enacts the tragedy of a phil osophical fall – it is a turning towards Being and thus towards authenticity. The fallen philosophy is overcome in The Contributions...: ManDasein makes a full turn towards the gifting source. A different beginning suggested by Heidegger opens a new path – opens towards the beginning of thinking, situates thinking, focuses it around the “object” particular to it, that is around the eventing of Being. Fol lowing that trail is a constant process, never finished – it stands (positions) a man differently against the finite nature of being and the infinity of Being. Such is the trail that the philosopher invites his reader to. The reflections undertaken in the present book are the consequences of accepting the Heideggerian invitation.
Papers by Jacek Surzyn
Against this background, an extraordinary work of Heidegger reveals itself, a work which is covered by a tight veil of mystery. It was created during the apparent time of stagnation and lack of publishing activity towards the end of
153
the thirties, which was also right after the unfortunate engagement of the phi losopher with Nazism. The work in question is Contributions to Philosophy (Of the Event), whose significance in Heidegger’s world cannot be overestimated. It was created between 1936 and 1938. Heidegger never directly mentioned it, nor did he ever make any references, he wished, however, for it to be published posthu mously. The will of the philosopher was respected – The Contributions... were pub lished in 1989 and immediately evoked great, even sensational interest. Perhaps the work of a lifetime of the Master of Germany has been published, a work which directs towards the essence of his thought. The Contributions... constitute a foun dation of Heidegger’s “turn,” i.e. the departure from the project of fundamental ontology and pursuing a path delineated by the “dark PreSocratic philosophers” and the mysterious Hölderlin – their poetic representative in modern times. In other words, The Contributions... are a way towards the deeper strata of reality for the purpose of building something in the shape of “nonmetaphysical” philosophy, based on the direct “event” of being itself. The present monograph is devoted to demonstrating that way. While describing the path, one wanders through fugues: der Anklang – “the Reasoning,” das Zuspiel – “the Interplay,” der Sprung – “the Leap,” die Gründung – “the Grounding,” die Zukünftigen – “the Future Ones,” der letzte Gott – “the Last God.” Nevertheless, the book is not devoted to the description of individ ual fugues, but to extracting “joinings” – elements out of which such a way can be built. This idea determines the structure of the book, as it is divided into chapters where the extracted “joinings” are brought forth.
The work is composed of five chapters. Chapter I, entitled Ereignis-the event, which opens the discussion, relates to the main motif of Heidegger’s thinking on being, i.e. “the event.” Chapter II, entitled The Fugue of being, the meaning of fugue perspective on being is presented and the resulting consequences are demon strated. Chaper II, entitled The Metaphysics of beings and the metaphysics of being is an attempt at describing the fundamental for Heidegger’s thought division of philosophy into the “metaphysical” tradition focused on beings, which is rejected by the author, and the suggested path towards the Being itself which reveals itself in the event.
The next, fourth chapter, entitled Faith and knowledge, is an attempt at a per spective towards the distinction between knowledge and faith, presented in The Contributions... – two ways of gazing at what “is,” which have been shaped in the history of philosophy by the known division into theology and philosophy. Finally, the fifth chapter, entitled The last god is an attempt at “adjoining” Heidegger’s reflection over the event of being through relating to the experience of “divinity” which Heidegger understood in a particular manner. God and divinity, deprived of the sacred and religious character, express for the philosopher the deepest desire and perhaps the deepest sense of human existence. Only a God Can Save Us was the title of the famous interview with Heidegger conducted by Spiegel’s edi tor in chief, published (accordingly with the philosopher’s clearly expressed will)
154
posthumously. The motif of “the last god” in Contributions... may serve as a kind of adhesive (this is one of the meanings of fugue) for the entirety of the conducted reflections.
The esoteric character of Heidegger’s work leads through an untrodden trail of eventing of Being, which, at certain moments, reveals itself in its true nature, that is, clears for Dasein prepared for this exceptional experience. The power of influence of Being indicates a change, a reversal of relation: man turns from a seeker of Being – the true foundation, the philosophical source – into a “reciever” of Being which clears in eventing. Man as Da-sein turns into a guardian, a shep herd of being – he guards Being, returns to a different, proper beginning. Contri- butions... emerge from the very eventing of Being and through the fugual character attempt to capture the dynamic character of their uncovering – the essencing of the truth of Being. These reflections of Heidegger, filled with mystical inspiration, confuse the reader in a certain way: The Contributions... are so remote in terms of form from the specific language that Heidegger uses in his other texts, that they invoke a lot of doubts.
Nevertheless, a careful reading of the work discloses its depth and clarity, which leads to the conclusion that The Contributions... are not a collection of cha otic reflections cast onto paper to stabilize the dynamic revealing of the mystery of being. It attempts to direct the alert observer towards Being itself, to imple ment its secret, to somehow revert the reader to the very beginning. It does so through a “mood,” as philosophy is, according to Heidegger, the proper attune ment – the wonder postulated at the beginning of the philosophical thought does not illustrate the proper, true attitude which must shape itself in attunement dif ficult to define, certainly not “conceptual and forcing constant “attention.”
The philosophy presented in The Contributions... enacts the tragedy of a phil osophical fall – it is a turning towards Being and thus towards authenticity. The fallen philosophy is overcome in The Contributions...: ManDasein makes a full turn towards the gifting source. A different beginning suggested by Heidegger opens a new path – opens towards the beginning of thinking, situates thinking, focuses it around the “object” particular to it, that is around the eventing of Being. Fol lowing that trail is a constant process, never finished – it stands (positions) a man differently against the finite nature of being and the infinity of Being. Such is the trail that the philosopher invites his reader to. The reflections undertaken in the present book are the consequences of accepting the Heideggerian invitation.