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What is Called Thinking? (Heidegger, Gray, 1954, 1968, 1976, 2004)

Martin Heidegger, translated by J. Glenn Gray

JLJ - Thinking, in my opinion, is a "tool" that we can either choose to use or not. Certainly, many aspects of our lives do not require high levels of thought. But it is our tool-of-choice for untangling the web of our situation and determining how to "go on".

More important than thinking, in my opinion, is the "internal conversation", through which we Margaret-Archer-style "make our way through the world". We converse with a generalized "other", perhaps ourselves, perhaps a member of our social group, perhaps an imaginary friend, in order to make and carry out the schemes which fill our lives, planning projects which we carry out in order to progress to wherever it is that we decide we want to go and do.

Perhaps thinking is what we do to get from one part of a scheme to another, to prepare for an event, or to do long-range planning, or what we do when faced with a problem of any kind. Our job requires us to think - otherwise we would not have one. Perhaps generalized thinking is the whole set of activities we undertake to identify and satisfy our needs.

But enough of what I think about thinking. Let's hear from Heidegger, what is called thinking?

xi For Heidegger thinking is a response on our part to a call which issues from the nature of things, from Being itself. To be able to think does not wholly depend upon our will and wish, though much does depend on whether we prepare ourselves to hear that call to think when it comes and respond to it in the appropriate manner. Thinking is determined by that which is to be thought as well as by him who thinks. It involves not only man's receptivity to Being but also Being's receptivity to man. The history and situation of man in a given age often covers up the nature of reality and renders it impossible to receive the message of Being.

xii As we learn in the opening sentence: "We come to know what thinking means when we ourselves try to think." To define thinking for someone else would be as hopeless as describing colors to the blind.

p.4-5 Philosophers... are called thinkers precisely because thinking properly takes place in philosophy.

p.8-10 We said: man still does not think, and this is because what must be thought about turns away from him... It withdraws from him... What withdraws from us, draws us along by its very withdrawal, whether or not we become aware of it immediately, or at all. Once we are drawn into the withdrawal, we are drawing toward what draws, attracts us by its withdrawal... As we are drawing toward what withdraws, we ourselves are pointers pointing toward it. We are who we are by pointing in that direction... man... points toward what withdraws... His essential nature lies in being such a pointer. Something which in itself, by its essential nature, is pointing, we call a sign... The sign stays without interpretation.

p.12 By way of this series of lectures, we are attempting to learn thinking. The way is long.

p.13 The matter of thinking is always confounding

p.17 To be capable [of thinking], we must before all else incline toward what addresses itself to thought... what we call most thought-provoking... is that we are still not thinking... this most thought-provoking thing turns away from us, in fact has long since turned away from man. And what withdraws in such a manner, keeps and develops its own, incomparable nearness. Once we are so related and drawn to what withdraws, we are drawing into what withdraws... Whenever man is properly drawing that way, he is thinking. [JLJ - an odd definition of thinking]

p.21 We shall never learn what "is called" swimming, for example, or what it "calls for," by reading a treatise on swimming. Only the leap into the river tells us what is called swimming.

p.23 Thinking guides and sustains every gesture of the hand.

p.28 Thinking is thinking when it answers to what is most thought-provoking. In our thought-provoking time, what is most thought-provoking shows itself in the fact that  we are still not thinking. [JLJ - Heidegger implies that we are not thinking unless we are thinking about what most demands our thoughts. For example, when driving a car, if we are making a cell phone call, we are not thinking, because attention to driving demands our attention. Ok, I get it. Heidegger is demonstrating thought to his students by "thinking" out loud about the thing that most demands thought. In his mind, this is the fact that we are not thinking. That is most thought-provoking, and so it demands our thought, and in fact he is going to think out loud about that.]

p.30 we are still not thinking... The words "still not," spoken thoughtfully, suggest that we are already on our way toward thinking

p.138 In order to perceive a clue, we must first be listening ahead into the sphere from which the clue comes.

p.145 When we think what is most thought-provoking we think properly.

p.168-169 "What is called thinking?" ...The question cannot be settled, now or ever... Thinking itself is a way. We respond to the way only by remaining underway... In order to get underway, we do have to set out... Only when we walk it, and in no other fashion, only, that is, by thoughtful questioning, are we on the move on the way... To answer the question "What is called thinking?" is itself always to keep asking, so as to remain underway.

p.243 Our questioning can arrive at what is called thinking only if we pay heed to what we are called to do... and with it to be on the quest and lookout for what calls... what is present in presence.

p.244 we have learned to see that the essential nature of thinking is determined by what there is to be thought about: the presence of what is present, the Being of beings.