Heidegger, 'Aletheia', and Van Gogh's Shoes

Paper Summary:

Heidegger had an alternate understanding of truth, aletheia, which involves an "unconcealedness" of being. He illustrated this concept by way of a discussion of Van Gogh's painting of a pair of shoes. The paper shows how this interpretation drew the criticism of art historian, Meyer Schapiro, who questioned whether the shoes are that of a peasant woman. This, in turn, triggered a response from Jacques Derrida about the subjective projections on both sides. This paper argues that what gets lost in the flurry of words is whether we have a mode of properly understanding aletheia.

From the Paper:

"Consequently, it is possible to consider the concept on its own terms, regardless of how tenuous or how strong its ancient Greek origins may be. With such an allowance, it is possible to elaborate on two points in regards to Heidegger's intent and purpose. First, altheia results in knowledge that lies outside of interpretation and conceptualization, accompanied by the matching of those concepts with "the facts." In a later writing, Heidegger introduces the idea of wonder or astonishment in which one persists in a state of unsettledness. (1984 esp. 120) In contrast to the effort of matching mental contents with reality, an outright grasping for meaning and certainty, and the insistent elimination of confusion and doubt, things are left ungrounded and open."

More papers on Heidegger, 'Aletheia', and Van Gogh's Shoes:

• Comparison Essay # 139676 : "Renoir and Van Gogh"
• Comparison Essay # 100679 : "Beethoven and Van Gogh"
• Comparison Essay # 45020 : "Munch and Van Gogh"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: