FREE ESSAY ON HEIDEGGER'S METAPHYSICS

HEIDEGGER'S METAPHYSICS

HeIdegger's Metaphysics 
and its application to 
Filipino's PATRIOTISM and NATIONAL PRIDE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY:
1. To be able for Filipino to know heidegger's Metaphysics and apply it to their everyday
living.
2. To be able to know that the foundation of success is oneself
3. To be able to encourage Filipino people to evaluate themselves; 
4. To be able to maximize Filipinos' good values and minimize their weakness;
5. To be able to develop discipline and initiatives among Filipinos; and
6. To be able to promote "love of work", Patriotism and National Pride among Filipino
people. 
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
We are all travelers of this long journey, we call life. And as we travel, we aspire to
go somewhere else. A place where we think and believe we can succeed. And if that certain
place is not sufficient to offer the things we need, again, we search for another place
to stay. A place to try our luck. Another place not like what we had stayed
before...because it had failed us. It did not serve our satisfactions. We do not want to
remain stagnant in a place that has neglected us...
Like Philippines? 
Most of the Filipino people think that this country could not be a right place for
earning, for survival and even for living. Because they see Philippines as a poor country
that do not have the potential to develop nor have the capacity to serve its people. That
is why some of our fresh graduates usually apply for a job abroad. Even if the job they
apply for, do not require a bachelor degree certificate. Or if in that job, what they
have learned is not useful anymore... just to earn for a living... they will fly to Hong
Kong or Saudi Arabia as a housemaid or babysitter. They will take all the risk.
And that is also why we always ignore our country's product. And consider it as a second
class. That has no value nor significance in our lives. That we usually call "baduy".
Then we choose the signatures-- the richest country's products. Which the first class
people usually wear or eat or buy. We eat according to what they eat, and it's a funny
thing that we also eat according to how they eat. We talk the way they talk. Uttering
foreign languages that is actually foreign to our native tongues that puzzles people
about what we say. And even puzzle them about our nationality. And sometimes...about our
sanity. We imitate them. Because they are in. From hair color to nail polish, we like to
be like them. Thinking that we will be accepted and be liked as well. To be known around
the world and succeed.
And because we do not see any potential in this country, we subject ourselves to someone
we think is greater than we are. We consider ourselves as INFERIOR. We lose our identity.
We lose who we really are. We become another person we are not, because we never want
other people see us the way we see our fellow Filipinos-the-out-among-the-ins and
the-last-and-the-least. 
Which is a very sad story to hear. A story of people who allowed themselves be toxicated
of foreign substances. That slowly kills their PRIDE for themselves. They seemed had
eaten the known Lotus Blossom of Greek Mythology that fades their memory of their own
identity.
They lack self-pride and the virtue of patriotism. That is why Filipino sees many
mistakes of his own land
Why do Filipinos always blame our country for their sufferings? Why is it that because
Philippines is not like Japan or America, Filipinos do not to want to be Filipinos
anymore? Why? 
Our country's inability to help us is the usual reason we used to justify our being
submissive to foreign countries. "Wala kasing buhay sa Pilipinas!", as we usually say. We
find many fouls towards our political and economic systems. We see every single mistakes
of our government and of our country that we fail to notice the most important part of
development and progress...our own selves. 
As charity begins at home, and so is knowledge. Before man can hope to know other people
and other things, he must first know himself. And man can possibly know himself only if
he can distinguish and comprehend his individuality.
Filipinos like other nationals have their strength and weaknesses. But the problem is
seldom know these. Some do not have a clear image of our own...as a result, we still do
not know what awaits us all. Filipinos are potential being who has many resources that
needs to be utilized for his improvement. But Filipinos do not give much time in
analyzing these things which are very beneficial to them. But if we give ourselves chance
to have a face-to-face encounter with ourselves, we can maximize our strength. And
develop the things which we are not good at and find resolutions for our betterment. As
Socrates said: "An Unexamined life is not worth living." 
We call for changes. Indeed, we must. As Patricia Licuanan ( Schwenk.1989:13) has said,
knowing and understanding ourselves is the first step.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:
Because Filipinos indulge themselves merely on the achievements of their desires and
wants, Without knowing their capabilities to achieve it or not, they tend to move a step
ahead, without analyzing the every steps that they make. And if they fail on reaching the
peak, they stop for searching and loses hope to find another way to start all over again.

The study attempts to describe the positive and negative behavior of the Filipino
people.
1.) What are the positive behaviors of the Filipino people that should be strengthened
and valued?
2.) What are the negative behaviors of the Filipino that we can consider as hindrances to
our country's development?
3.) What specific strategies or philosophy can be used or applied to eliminate Filipinos
negative behavior and enhance their strength?
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
FILIPINO
PEOPLE
Lack of discipline
NATIONAL PRIDE 
Being-unto-death
Colonial Mentality
PATRIOTISM
Authentic Being
HEIDEGGER'S DASEIN 
LEGEND:
CHARACTERISTICS
IF BEING APPLIED
WILL RESULT TO
HYPOTHESIS
The author hypothesized that:
1.) Filipinos qualities have two dimensions: The Positive or the strengths and Negative
or weaknesses.
The Strengths of Filipinos are 
? PAKIKIPAGKAPWA-TAO
? FLEXIBILITY, ADAPTABILITY and CREATIVITY
? ABILITY TO SURVIVE
And the Weaknesses are as follows:
? LACK OF DISCIPLINE
a. BAHALA NA SYNDROME
b. NINGAS COGON 
c. LACK OF INITIATIVE
? COLONIAL MENTALITY
a. PASSIVITY and 
b. LACK OF SELF ANALYSIS and SELF REFLECTION
2.) Martin Heidegger's Metaphysics is Dasein which is:
? AN AUTHENTIC BEING AND A BEING-ANTICIPATING-DEATH
3.) Martin Heidegger's DASEIN is applicable and helpful towards development of Filipino
values especially in inculcating PATRIOTISM and NATIONAL PRIDE through resolving
Filipino's lack of discipline and Colonial Mentality.
4.) That Heidegger's Metaphysics of DASEIN could be an alternative solution and efficient
strategy to Filipino problems about economic progress.
SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS
The study discusses the qualities of Filipino people which are responsible for their
development and progress as a person and as a society. These qualities are
PAKIKIPAGKAPWA-TAO, FLEXIBILITY, ADAPTABILITY, CREATIVITY and ABILITY TO SURVIVE, which
the author sees as helpful for Filipino people in competing among other nations. And the
other qualities, like LACK OF DISCIPLINE and COLONIAL MENTALITY that hinders them to
succeed and achieve their goal in life. Filipinos, in order to succeed is to know these
qualities. Without being aware of these qualities they have, one could not possibly
maximize the good or avoid the evil qualities. Thus, the application of Metaphysics of
Martin Heidegger is an important philosophy which the author sees as useful for Filipino
people for them to be able to determine one from the other. The study focuses on how
Heidegger's Dasein can resolve Filipino problems toward their discipline and colonial
mentality in order to promote patriotism and national pride. 
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Anticipation- the feeling of looking forward.
Change- modification for betterment
Dasein- Heidegger's metaphysics
Death- condition or quality of being dead.
Filipino- somebody who was born in the Philippines or who has Philippine 
citizenship.
Imitation- synthetic, intended as a copy of something, or not genuine.
Heidegger, Martin-(1889-1976), German philosopher, who developed existential
phenomenology and has been widely regarded as the most original 20th-century philosopher.
Heidegger was born in Messkirch, Baden, on September 22, 1889.
Patriotism- pride in or devotion to the country somebody was born in or is a citizen of
Pride- the correct level of respect for the importance and value of your personal 
character, life, effort or achievements.
Submit- to give in to somebody's authority, control or demands
Success- achievement of something 
CHAPTER TWO
STUDY OF RELATED LITERATURE
"The Phony State" (p.1-10) in Ang Konsepto ng Lipunan ni Renato Constantino
by Dr. Mark Edwin Aspra
According to the author as he narrated Constantino's philosophy about society, our
country is fake or phony. The reason why he call our society phony is because people
living in this country tries to live according to what he sees and imitates to other
people. That Filipino do not have an original conception of life but all are borrowed
from other nations. That Filipino people continue to deny their identity. That our
principles are brought out and was shaped by our colonial mentality. 
According to the author, our phony society was rooted in our aspiration to be like the
westerners. And because we used to imitate other nations, we tend to rely on them
economically, politically and even intellectually. We become American extension. We act
like as if we are American people. We freely submit ourselves unto them and surrender our
national values allowing the American to shape and control us. For the author, living in
a phony society is like lacking purpose and do not have a strong principle toward life.
Our conception of Democracy mirrors how phony our society is. Because until now, we
consider our government as irresponsible to help us and we do not believe in them as an
institutions that could make us a better person. We follow rules not because we believe
in what the government has implemented but only because we are afraid of punishment.
Until now, we do not consider our government as our own. The kind of mentality that we
used to have before.
Corruption as a cancerous disease in our society can be traced along our colonial
mentality and according to the author it can only be cured through nationalism. We become
corrupt because we try to imitate others. But if we have a strong determination to change
by valuing our own and living a life of our own, we can possibly destroy the fantastic
view about life.
ISIPANG KOLONYAL- BALAKID SA PAG-UNLAD 
Venancio Ramos De Los Reyes, Jr.
The author defines Colonial Mentality as believing that everything, from products to
people, that are from other country are better than our own. Our desire to look like
westerners when we blond our hairs, when we buy whitening products, when we do noselift
are some manifestations of having colonial minds. The author added that even in our
highways, coloniality among Filipinos can be seen when almost of them wanted to own a car
which was from abroad. Most of us prefer to have an imported good rather than products
made in Philippines. We have this thinking that a product coming from abroad seems
effective and has a greater value compare to ours. Even in our commercials, in order for
us to call the attention of the consumers, we even have to say that the product we
endorse was tested and approved abroad. Even in our sports, in our film industry,
colonial mentality had already stained in the fabric of every Filipinos' mentality. If we
continue being this way, we can never attain progress. Unless, we learn the need to know
ourselves and begin to love it. If we do not believe in ourselves, who else then will
believe us? The author stated that progress and development begin within us. That nobody
will do that for us but with our own initiatives and self evaluation, we can possibly
grow and be a better person.
SELF-RELIANCE
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Envy is ignorance. Imitation is suicide." The essay Self-Reliance tackles about human
being's quest for independence and self-fulfillment, through self- reliance. But there
are hindrances or obstacles to achieve it. And these are conformity, lack of trust on
oneself, imitations, and inconsistency. Man will never know what he can do until he tries
and will never be relieved unless he puts his heart into his work and done his best.
Because men measure their esteem of each other by what each has and not by what each is,
they end up being unhappy and discontented. The author added that we find easy to live
after the world's opinion. When we accords toward what society dictates but he said,
great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the
independence of solitude.
I AM NATURE'S GREATEST MIRACLE
by Og Mandino
"I will win...for I am unique. I am nature's greatest miracle." If we have this thinking,
success is never impossible to reach. The essay teaches us that man is unique among his
brothers. That nobody can walk and talk and move and think exactly the way one does.
Nobody has the ability to duplicate one's ability and strength for man is rare and he has
to value his rarity. Because he is indeed, valuable. Man's skill and mind will stagnate,
rot and die if one do not put it in good use but just submit himself to others. Man has
unlimited potentials. But only a small portion of this potential is felt because only
little effort is exerted. Men are here for a purpose, and that purpose is to grow. Growth
means applications of all effort to become somebody not to rely one's development to
others. Man should not be deceived of what he sees but has to be keen to see what is in
his inside and realize that he is the nature's greatest miracle.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Although many studies had already been done about Filipinos nationalism and patriotism,
the author still see the need for another additional discussion on the topic and attempts
to deliver some not-so-mentioned-strategy toward Filipinos development.
The author chooses the topic and Philosophy of Martin Heidegger for she believes this
philosophy is relevant and significant that could somehow help her fellowmen to realize
their shortcomings and enhances their potentials.
The main sources of data for this study were from review of some related literature about
Filipinos colonial Mentality and submissive to foreign country and some study that also
tackles the same topic.
The author used descriptive method in this study. The author went to several libraries to
research for necessary materials that she will use in this study. These libraries
includes Dasmarinas Library and Aklatang Emilio Aguinaldo where she found some
discussions included in the study. The author also surf the internet for a quick access
on the materials she needs.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF DATA
We are facing a grave national crisis in our country--Economic instability, crimes,
corruptions of government officials, devaluation of peso, flood, and poverty. These are
all felt everywhere and the need for progress is the first goal every Filipino want to
achieve right now at the earliest possible time.
We all need development. We all need prosperity and success for a well living. But we
never tried longing for CHANGE. We long for a quick progress to lift our economic
standard yet we never tried looking on what we really need for what we dream of. 
WE NEED CHANGE FOR A CHANGE. And this change can never be attained if we do not change as
a community, as a person.
THE FILIPINOS' TRUE COLOR:
Filipinos, among Asian race has many potentials and qualities to be proud of. Qualities
that if only being properly utilized will bring them success. 
1. PAKIKIPAG-KAPWA TAO
Filipinos are known to this attitude. They are open to others and feel one with others.
They are helpful and has concern for others. They value their friends thus they begin to
be loyal to them and regard them with respect and unquestionable concern.. They show
gratitude among their fellows and they can easily make friends. They will sacrifice and
even offer their lives for other people. They will give as much as they have and will
lend you help even they have no longer food to eat. 
According to Licuanan, et al, this Pakikipagkapwa-tao of Filipinos brings out camaraderie
and feeling of closeness to one another. And it is the foundation for unity as wellas the
sense of social justice.
2. FILIPINOS ARE FLEXIBLE
" Unplanned or unanticipated events are never overly disturbing or disorienting as the
Flexible Filipino adjusts to whatever happens." One of the Filipinos attributes which
made Filipinos known abroad. Filipinos can perform any task being given to him. They can
shift one work from another with the same performance. They can easily adjust to the
nature of work given to them. The result is productivity, innovation, and survival.
3. ADAPTABILITY
Filipinos can easily adapt to another place whatever the circumstances maybe. Wherever
they go, they can easily learn the nature of the place and the people living in it, thus
making them easy to live and get along with them. The results are survival and
enterpreneurship.
3. CREATIVITY
Filipinos are creative and resourceful people. We are quick learners. Example of this is
the Ifugaos' widely known Rice Terraces or Hagdan hagdan Palayan. They can make something
out of what they can get from trees or stones and pebbles. Filipinos have always
something in mind which if only being supported by the government can compete to foreign
resources. Filipino products are indeed more creative and more fashionable than other
products. The results are inventions, productivity and development.
4. ABILITY TO SURVIVE
Because Filipinos are by nature fighter, whatever pains they have to go through could not
hinder them to live.. Filipinos are survivor. They have been conquered by foreign
countries but still they get by to survive.
These certain qualities of Filipinos can lead them to overcome poverty. But because of
wrong interpretations and misuse of these qualities it has become their weaknesses.
And the Weaknesses are as follows:
1. LACK OF DISCIPLINE 
Filipino lacks discipline in their work. We have a casual and relaxed attitude toward
time and space. We have a poor management of our time. We are disorganized when it comes
to obligations and compromisions. For the westerners, "time wasted is gone foreve"r but
for Filipino, "there is always tomorrow" which is reflected in our maxims, "Paglipas ng
dilim, may umagang darating." (Mercado.93:112-113). The BAHALA NA SYNDROME are manifested
in his attitude toward his work. Bahala na means leaving matters as they are leaving
nature to take its course. It is contraction of the word "bathala na" meaning "God will
take care". This shows Filipinos strong faith to their creator yet wrong notions such as
predestinations, "suerte", "hula", "tadhana" were developed among Filipinos. Which led
them to endure sufferings, poverty tragedy and enables them to accept pain and
frustrations with tolerance. Another is NINGAS COGON. 
( a grass fire). It means great enthusiasm of Filipinos to their work that marks the
start of a project or of a new organization but the interest eventually dies down as days
passes by. This attitude gives them unfinished work and unattained success. Resulting to
inefficiency and wasteful work systems, poor service and transgressions.
Filipino's indolence or "katamaran" were charged by Spaniards.(Pilar.1981:48) For other
people, this attitude brought out our poverty. Because Filipino LACKS INITIATIVE and
ambitions they seldom achieve something . They have to wait to be told what has to be
done. They always rely on others. Especially in the presence of authority which they
securely submit themselves. Filipinos have small dreams thus they have small
achievements. Although Rizal refuted this charge as he explained that this perception
only came about because of Spanish colonizations, this attitude has become part of
Filipinos nature.
2. COLONIAL MENTALITY
"Filipinos have colonial mentality which is made up of two dimensions: the first is lack
of PATRIOTISM or of an active awareness, appreciation and love of the Philippines; and
the second is an actual preference for things foreign."( Schwenk. 1989: 17). Filipinos
are very passive people. Indeed, they can easily adapt and adjust to new environment yet
Filipinos when they have already adjusted to a certain place, they easily give in and
incorporate themselves to the nature of the society and forget their own identity.
Sometimes, their notion of survival is to be socially accepted and please other people
which led them to imitate and desire to be like other people which they think is
"acceptable". Filipinos submit their identity to another identity to be acknowledged and
to succeed. Being like the other is their perception as being "in" and desirable. Even in
the way one speaks, the color of the skin, the food that they eat are all borrowed to
foreign countries. This attitude of PASSIVITY among Filipinos was brought about their
LACK OF SELF ANALYSIS and SELF REFLECTION. Filipinos seldom know themselves. That is why
until now, seldom knows what they want in life. Almost of us long to succeed but the
steps to success were taken for granted because we do lack self evaluation and analysis.
Knowing what we want is knowing how to get them. And knowing how to get them is knowing
our abilities and limitations to achieve it. But Filipinos do not know these and even
seldom question what they can do for them to succeed yet often pursue to their dreams
without analyzing their capabilities and stand.
Filipinos weaknesses continue to shrink our potentials. And it is very clear that we have
much good in us but there is much more that needs to be changed. And if we do not do
anything to overcome these... it will not be our weakness anymore... but will become our
identity.
So what can we do to overcome this? Is there any possibility that Filipinos can still
change and succeed? Maybe yes...If we only be authentic as Martin Heidegger's Dasein. 
THE METAPHYSICS OF MARTIN HEIDEGGER
Heidegger was influenced by the pre-Socratics of Greek philosophy, by the Danish Soren
Kierkegaard, and by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. His most important and
influential work, is Being and Time(1927).
Heidegger attempts to uncover the basic structures of human existence-such as concern and
mood-in virtue of which knowledge and understanding are possible. He said that we are
self-interpreting, deciding entities practically involved along with others in a world
that we have not made but that consists of potential useful things, including cultural as
well as natural objects. And because these objects and artifacts come to humanity from
the past and are used in the present for the sake of future goals, Heidegger posited a
fundamental relation between the mode of being of objects and of humanity and the
structure of time. He argues that a person's usual understanding is dictated by the
anonymous "public" or "them", and that the individual authenticity-the prospect of which
is experienced in the state of anxiety-requires distancing from "them" and "resolutely"
forging one's own "projects" and view of things. The individual is, however, always in
danger of being submerged in the world of objects, everyday routine, and the
conventional, shallow behavior of the crowd. This sense of potential individuality is
reinforced by the sober recognition of mortality, since a person's own death, and the way
he faces up to it, is something that is uniquely his or her own.
BEING
The question of being is considered superfluous and is the most general and is
undefinable. Being seems to be already included in all that we grasp of things. But
because of lack of understanding of what being really is, grave misunderstanding arises.
Yet for heidegger, in the question of being, the one who asks is himself a being. The
interrogator of being is already a being himself. By asking what being is, the
interrogator asks what he himself is. Heidegger believes, and with reason, that we cannot
hope to understand being without first of all understanding what we ourselves are. Man is
the key to the understanding of being. But the fact remains that not all men attempt to
understand what they are or who they are. Thus, Heidegger was compelled to group men into
two classes: the authentic man (Dasein) and the inauthentic man (das Man).
DASEIN and DAS MAN
Dasein is Heidegger's way of referring both to the human being and to the type of being
that humans have. It comes from the verb dasein, which means "to exist" or "to be there,
to be here". The noun dasein is used by other philosophers, by kant for example, for the
existence of entity. But heidegger restricts it to human being. And human being as a
dasein is questioners, choosers and self-producers.
Dasein is possibility. And is prior to his actuality. And has three characteristics: He
is hurdled into the world and found there (Befindlichkeit) and realizes that he is thrown
(Geworfen) and has more control over its own being; he understands (Verstehen) that while
being abandoned in the world, he has to realize a future. He therefore must understand
the ultimate connection between an impoverished, weakened past and an unfulfilled future.
Dasein is an entity that can decide whether to be or not to be. Yet cannot become
whatever it wants because circumstamces places restrictions on what one does. On the
other hand, das Man never asks himself what he is, hence does not have a sense of
abandonment. His existence is that of ambiguity and his involvement is ambiguous because
he does even not know what he is or why he is. Instead of understanding which is
characteristic of dasein, das Man is impelled by curiosity and because of lack of true
understanding, his mode of speech is that of idle or silly speeches. He is not creative