Phenomenology and Locus: Being vs Beings

BY NICOLE LAU

Series: Locus × Philosophy - The Metaphysics of Worth (Part 3 of 8)

"Being-in-the-world."

This is Martin Heidegger's central concept in phenomenology. And it reveals something profound about worth.

You are not a detached subject observing an external world. You are always already in the world, embedded, engaged, belonging.

This has implications for locus: Worth is not something you acquire from outside. Worth is intrinsic to Being itself.

This article explores Heidegger's Being-in-the-world, authentic vs inauthentic existence as internal vs external locus, and Dasein's inherent worth.

Heidegger: Being-in-the-World

The Question of Being

Heidegger's fundamental question: What is Being?

Not "What are beings?" (entities, things, objects) but "What is Being itself?"

This is ontology at its deepest—asking about the nature of existence itself, not just what exists.

Dasein: The Being Who Questions Being

Heidegger calls the human being Dasein (literally "being-there" in German).

Dasein is unique because it is the being for whom Being is an issue. You question your existence. You care about what it means to be.

This is not abstract philosophy. This is lived experience: Who am I? What is my life about? Does my existence matter?

Being-in-the-World

Heidegger's central insight: Dasein is Being-in-the-world.

This is not:

• A subject inside looking at an external world
• A mind separate from body and environment
• An isolated self that then relates to others

Instead, you are always already in the world:

• Embedded in contexts
• Engaged with things and others
• Belonging to a world of meaning

You are not separate from the world. You are in it, of it, with it.

Implications for Worth

If you are Being-in-the-world, worth is not something you get from outside:

• You are not separate from the world, seeking worth from it
• You are not an empty vessel needing to be filled with worth
• You are not worthless until proven otherwise

Instead, worth is intrinsic to Being-in-the-world. To be Dasein—to be the being for whom Being is an issue—is already to have worth.

This is phenomenological internal locus.

Authentic vs Inauthentic Existence

The Distinction

Heidegger distinguishes between two modes of existence:

Inauthentic Existence (Das Man - "The They")

Inauthentic existence is living according to "the They"—the anonymous, impersonal social norms and expectations.

"One does this." "They say that." "People think..."

In inauthentic existence:

• You conform to social expectations without questioning
• You lose yourself in roles and routines
• You avoid confronting your own Being
• You flee from anxiety and responsibility
• You are absorbed in "the They" and lose your individuality

This is not moral condemnation. Inauthenticity is the default mode. We all live inauthentically much of the time.

Authentic Existence (Eigentlichkeit)

Authentic existence is owning your Being—taking responsibility for who you are and how you live.

In authentic existence:

• You confront your own Being and mortality
• You take responsibility for your choices
• You live according to your own understanding, not just "the They"
• You face anxiety without fleeing
• You individuate—become who you truly are

This is not isolation. You are still Being-in-the-world. But you are owning your existence.

Authenticity and Internal Locus

The parallel is clear:

Inauthentic existence = External locus

• Living according to "the They" (external standards)
• Seeking worth from social approval and conformity
• Losing yourself in roles
• Fleeing from anxiety into external validation

Authentic existence = Internal locus

• Owning your Being
• Taking responsibility for who you are
• Living according to your own understanding
• Facing anxiety without fleeing into external worth

The Call of Conscience

Heidegger describes the call of conscience as what summons Dasein from inauthenticity to authenticity.

This is not moral conscience. This is ontological conscience—the call to own your Being.

The call says: "You are responsible for your existence. Stop fleeing. Face yourself."

In locus terms: Stop seeking worth from "the They." Your worth is inherent. Own it.

Being-Toward-Death and Worth

Mortality and Authenticity

Heidegger's concept of Being-toward-death is crucial:

You are always already mortal. Death is not just an event in the future—it is a constitutive part of your Being.

Confronting mortality (Being-toward-death) is what enables authenticity:

• Death is your ownmost possibility (no one can die for you)
• Death individualizes you (you face it alone)
• Death reveals what truly matters
• Death frees you from "the They" (social expectations become less important)

Death and Worth

Being-toward-death has implications for worth:

If you are mortal, and death ends all external achievements and roles, then:

• Worth cannot be in achievements (they end)
• Worth cannot be in roles (they end)
• Worth cannot be in "the They" (social approval ends)

Worth must be in Being itself.

You are valuable not because of what you achieve or how "the They" see you, but because you are.

This is existential/phenomenological inherent worth.

Dasein and Inherent Worth

The Phenomenological Claim

From phenomenology, we can derive:

Dasein has inherent worth simply by being Dasein—the being for whom Being is an issue.

Why?

1. Being-in-the-World

You are not separate from the world, needing to acquire worth from it. You are always already in the world, belonging, mattering.

2. Care (Sorge)

Heidegger says Dasein's Being is Care. You care about your existence. You care about the world. You care about others.

This caring is not optional. It is constitutive of Being Dasein.

If you care, you matter. Worth is intrinsic to caring Being.

3. Disclosure

Dasein discloses the world—makes it meaningful. You are the being through whom Being is revealed.

This disclosure is not earned. It is what you are.

If you disclose Being, you have worth.

4. Mortality

You are mortal. This is not a flaw—it is constitutive of your Being.

Mortality makes your existence finite, unique, irreplaceable.

Finite existence has worth precisely because it is finite.

The Integration

Phenomenology supports internal locus:

You have inherent worth as Dasein—as Being-in-the-world, as caring, as disclosing, as mortal.

You do not need to achieve, conform, or be validated by "the They" to have worth.

Worth is ontological—it is in your Being itself.

Practice: Phenomenological Internal Locus

Reflection Questions

1. Am I living authentically or inauthentically?
2. Do I seek worth from "the They" (social norms and approval)?
3. Can I confront my mortality and see what truly matters?
4. Do I recognize that I am Being-in-the-world, not separate from it?
5. Can I own my Being and take responsibility for my existence?

Phenomenological Practices

1. Recognize Being-in-the-World

"I am not separate from the world, seeking worth from it. I am in the world, of it, belonging. Worth is intrinsic to my Being."

2. Identify Inauthenticity

"Where am I living according to 'the They'? Where am I conforming without questioning? Where am I fleeing from my own Being?"

3. Heed the Call of Conscience

"I am responsible for my existence. I can stop fleeing. I can face myself. I can own my Being."

4. Confront Mortality

"I am mortal. Death is my ownmost possibility. What truly matters? What is authentic for me?"

5. Affirm Inherent Worth

"I am Dasein—Being-in-the-world, caring, disclosing, mortal. This itself has worth. I am valuable simply because I am."

What Comes Next

We have explored phenomenology and locus. The next article examines Ethics and Locus—Kant's dignity as inherent worth, utilitarian conditional worth, virtue ethics, and worth as moral foundation.

This is where we explore the ethical implications of inherent vs conditional worth.