In "On the Essence of Truth," Martin Heidegger offers a deep and transformative examination of the concept of truth, moving beyond the traditional understanding of truth as mere correctness or correspondence. This essay, originally published in 1943, is central to Heidegger’s philosophical project, as it redefines truth in terms of aletheia, an ancient Greek concept meaning "unconcealment" or "disclosure."
Heidegger begins by critiquing the conventional notion of truth as adaequatio, the idea that truth is the agreement or correspondence between a statement and reality. This traditional view, which traces back to Aristotle, sees truth as a property of propositions that accurately reflect the state of affairs in the world. Heidegger acknowledges that this understanding of truth has been dominant in Western philosophy but argues that it is limited and fails to address the more fundamental nature of truth.
To uncover the essence of truth, Heidegger delves into the deeper relationship between truth and Being. He asserts that truth is not primarily a characteristic of propositions but a more fundamental event in which beings are revealed or uncovered. Truth, in this sense, is about the disclosure of Being itself, where entities show themselves as they truly are. This process of unconcealment, or aletheia, is the essence of truth.
Heidegger explains that this unconcealment is not simply the passive reception of facts but an active engagement with the world. Human beings play a crucial role in the event of truth by being open to the world and allowing it to reveal itself. This openness, which Heidegger refers to as Dasein’s "openness to Being," is a fundamental aspect of human existence. It is through this openness that truth as unconcealment becomes possible.
However, Heidegger also highlights the inherent concealment that accompanies any act of unconcealment. When something is brought into the light of truth, other aspects of it remain hidden or obscure. This duality of unconcealment and concealment is central to Heidegger's understanding of truth. He suggests that every act of revealing is simultaneously an act of concealing, as not everything can be fully disclosed at once. This tension between revealing and concealing is what makes the nature of truth dynamic and complex.
Furthermore, Heidegger critiques the tendency of Western metaphysics to focus solely on the correctness of propositions, which he believes leads to a forgetfulness of the more original experience of truth as unconcealment. This forgetfulness results in a worldview that is overly concerned with technical and calculative thinking, where truth is reduced to mere factual accuracy. Heidegger argues that this reduction impoverishes our understanding of truth and Being.
Heidegger concludes "On the Essence of Truth" by calling for a return to the more original experience of truth as aletheia. He suggests that by rethinking truth in terms of unconcealment, we can develop a more profound relationship with Being and the world around us. This shift in perspective allows for a deeper engagement with existence, where truth is not just a matter of correctness but a way of being that involves openness, receptivity, and the ongoing interplay of revealing and concealing.
See also: Heidegger and the Concept of Truth