Tradition und Sprache nach Sein und Zeit

Abstract

Tradition and Language according to “Being and Time”. The article takes its point of departure from Gadamer’s idea that language is the essence of tradition. Accordingly, it explores the suggestion that the hermeneutical approach to language according to Being and Time shows a fruitful path to understand the problem of tradition thematically. However, in contrast to Gadamer’s approach which underlines the written aspect of tradition, it stresses its discourse dimension. The interpretation of tradition from the multi-layered concept of discourse (Rede) expands the reflection on tradition in Being and Time and allows to conceive it as both: a productive appropriation of the past with regards to the future and the crossing point between the possible, the sense (Sinn) , and the “real”, the meaning (Bedeutung).