The Role of Hermeneutics in Heidegger’s Concept of Revealing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.10801Keywords:
hermeneutics, revealing, being, Dasein, ontology, freedom, language.Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to understand the role of interpretation (hermeneutics) in revealing the concept of unconcealment (Unverborgenheit) in the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. The premise of the study is that unconcealment is a foundational pillar in Heidegger’s thought, through which Being is revealed. Heidegger relies on the act of interpretation—performed by the human being who is aware of the meaning of their existence in the world, the Dasein—to uncover Being, particularly through the notion of ontological anxiety. The study seeks to demonstrate the interpretative nature of Dasein, which is constituted in every moment it actualizes its existence through freedom and language.
Methods: The study adopts an analytical method to examine the foundations of interpretation in Heidegger’s philosophy, which are grounded in the understanding of Being through the being-in-the-world—Dasein. It also considers Heidegger’s concepts of freedom and the role of language as “the house of Being.” These three foundations—Dasein, freedom, and language—are the means through which truth manifests and Being is continually revealed within a temporal horizon.
Results: The study concludes that interpretation is a mode of Dasein’s being; it is an act Dasein performs as part of its existence. The purpose of this act is the continuous attempt to uncover Being, through its unique understanding of freedom and language—both of which are interpretive acts carried out by Dasein to realize its authentic existence. Thus, Being is revealed through freedom and language.
Conclusion: The study finds that Heidegger’s concept of interpretation is ontological in nature—it is the mode of being of Dasein. Dasein is the being-in-the-world that continually poses the question of Being through the act of interpretation that it itself performs. From this perspective, the study concludes that the path of freedom is Dasein’s way of disclosing Being, and that language is the revealer of Being, as it continuously clarifies and makes it manifest.
Downloads
References
Cucen, A. K. (2017). Is Heidegger’s hermeneutics an interpretation of the being of Dasein? European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 2(5), 252–260.
Filippopoulos, Y. (2024). Understanding the concept of being in general: From Being and Time back to young Heidegger. Conatus, 9(1), 9–32.
Gadamer, H. G. (1976). Philosophical hermeneutics (D. Linge, Trans.). University of California Press.
Heidegger, M. (1962). Being and time (J. Macquarrie & E. Robinson, Trans.). Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Abu Awwad, A. (2021). Blog post 28. [Blog post]. (Original link unavailable).
Bréhier, É. (1981). History of philosophy in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (G. Tarabishi, Trans.; Vol. 3). Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Tali‘a for Printing and Publishing.
Descartes, R. (2020). Discourse on the method of rightly conducting the reason and seeking truth in the sciences (M. M. al-Khidhiri, Trans.). Cairo, Egypt: Aqlam Arabiya for Publishing and Distribution.
Heidegger, M. (1977). The question concerning technology (A. G. Makkawi, Trans.). Cairo, Egypt: Dar al-Thaqafa for Printing and Publishing.
Heidegger, M. (1999). The call of being: Poetry, language, thought (B. Hijar, Trans.; 1st ed.). Beirut, Lebanon: The Arab Cultural Center.
Heidegger, M. (2003). Basic writings (I. al-Musaddaq, Trans.; Vol. 2; 1st ed.). Cairo, Egypt: The National Translation Project, Supreme Council for Culture.
Heidegger, M. (2012). Being and time (F. al-Maskini, Trans.; 1st ed.). Lebanon: Dar al-Kitab al-Jadid al-Muttahed.
Heidegger, M. (2016). The end of philosophy and the task of thinking (W. A. Al-Dahhiya, Trans.; 1st ed.). Damascus, Syria: Dar Al-Takwin for Authorship, Translation, and Publishing.
Heidegger, M. (2023). Paths leading nowhere (A. H. Jabr, Trans.; 1st ed.). Syria: Dar Ninwa for Studies, Publishing, and Distribution.
Ibn Faris, A. (1979). The lexicon of linguistic measures (A. S. Harun, Ed.; Vol. 1). Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Fikr.
Ibn Manzur, A. (1405 AH). Lisān al-ʿArab (Vol. 11). Qom, Iran: Manashīr Adab al-Hawza.
Ibn Rushd, A. (1997). The decisive treatise determining the connection between religion and philosophy (M. A. al-Jabiri, Ed.; 1st ed.). Beirut, Lebanon: Center for Arab Unity Studies.
Khalfawi, H. (2006). The concept of truth in Martin Heidegger’s philosophy (Master’s thesis). University of Mentouri-Constantine, People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.
Karm, Y. (2012). History of Greek philosophy. Cairo, Egypt: Hindawi Foundation for Education and Culture.
Mustafa, A. (2007). Understanding understanding: An introduction to hermeneutics—The theory of interpretation from Plato to Gadamer (1st ed.). Cairo, Egypt: Roueya for Publishing and Distribution.
Musa, M. (2018). Between religion and philosophy in the view of Ibn Rushd and medieval philosophers. London, United Kingdom: Hindawi Foundation.
Plato. (1985). The Republic (F. Zakaria, Trans. & Study). Cairo, Egypt: The General Egyptian Book Authority.
Russell, B. (1983). The wisdom of the West: A historical survey of Western philosophy in its social and political setting (F. Zakaria, Trans.; Vol. 1, World of Knowledge Series No. 62, pp. 35–36).
Spinoza, B. (2005). A theological-political treatise (H. Hanfi, Trans.; 1st ed.). Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Tanwir for Printing, Publishing, and Distribution.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dirasat: Human and Social Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
