The School of Nursing at IUPUI, Indianapolis, has announced this year's Institute for Hermeneutic Phenomenology, June 22 – 25. This year's guest philosopher will be Michael J. Hyde.

Heidegger’s response to the "call of Being" is initially worked out in his Being and Time as he explores how the spatial and temporal fabric of human existence discloses itself as a "call of conscience," a call that summons us, especially in moments of personal crisis, to assume the ethical responsibility of affirming our freedom through resolute choice. In his later works (e.g., "Letter on Humanism," "The Question Concerning Technology"—the two primary readings for the course), this call is acknowledged as the "presencing" or "saying" of "all that lies before us" (Being) in our historical existence. With this "turn" in his thinking about the call, Heidegger makes much of the role played by language in our understanding of the world. He also offers an influential assessment of how technology affects our overall symbolic ability to respond to the call in a meaningful and truthful way.

Our course focuses on these related matters. Two case studies — 1) the life and death of Ms. Terri Schiavo, and 2) the ongoing debate over the benefits and burdens of biotechnology for improving our lives — are presented as ways of illustrating the practical application of Heidegger's ontological project, as well as its limitations.

I attended last year and had a blast.  ¶ 8:27 AM