Hut Existence or Urban Dwelling?

Abstract

Heidegger’s “Creative Landscapes: Why do we remain in the provinces?” and “Dialogue on Language” reveal the importance of rootedness for his existentialism. The article engages with the provinciality of Heidegger’s thought by juxtaposing his solitary “hut existence” to Buddhist compassion and the urban aesthetics of Kuki Shūzō. Turning to the East allows for a deprovincialization of Heideggerian themes. The rich philosophical legacy of reflecting on intercultural modernization and urbanization processes in East Asian philosophical traditions presents a genuine opportunity to rethink what it means to dwell today.

Keywords

• Heidegger
• Kuki
• Buddhism
• provincialism
• urbanism