On the Concept of Human Nature in Heidegger and Ebeling: A Persepctive from the Relationship between Human Beings and Language

本文根據語言與人的關係，檢討海德格與艾保林哲學中的人性概念。在這個觀點下，我發現海德格哲學中的人，其本性僅是聆聽存有的語言，再將之重說出來。人的存有學基礎是存有，而存有是海德格所說的古希臘哲學的自然(physis)。於是，人性中沒有人聞價值的內涵－－責任、自由、忠誠、尊嚴等。當人性中沒有這些要素時，我認為，人沒有說出語言的必然性。因此在海德格哲學中，語言在理論上沒有被說出的必然性，這即無法保証語言成為語言。但艾保林卻認為，語言與人的關係不是人要聆聽存有和重說存有，而是要回答存有。在回答時，人自覺他擁有自由，他要忠於真理，為他的語言負責。在這樣的回答中，人得到他的尊嚴。於是，對一個真正的人，他必須說出語言。所以我認為，艾保林的哲學才能保証語言成為語言。In this essay, I start with a discussion on the relationship between human being and language in the philosophies of Heidegger and G. Ebeling, and then try to illustrate their conceptions of human nature. I argue that in Heidegger man is being that listens to, and resay, the language of Being. Since Being is interpreted by Heidegger as the physis of ancient Greek, which means appearing, a process that is completely value-neutral, it therefore deprives of any possible humanity value, e. g., responsibility, freedom, loyalty and dignity, in the nature of human beings. I further argue that, following this concept of human nature, it would be iimpossible to guarantee the coming to presence of language in human world. On the contrary, G. Ebeling proclaims that man is a being that answers the language of Being. In doing so, he finds that human nature possesses humanity value, i. e., freedom to speak, responsibility for his act of speech and loyalty to truth. When he answers truthfully, his dignity can therefore be maintained. I argue that on Ebeling's conception of human nature, man is obliged to speak. Therefore, this conception, as it stands suffices to guarantee the coming to presence of language