The Role of ‘Fundamental Attunement’ in The Fundamental Concepts of Metaphysics

This chapter proceeds chronologically through the lectures and examines Heidegger’s analysis in Part One of The Fundamental Concepts of Metaphysics of the ‘fundamental attunement’ of ‘profound boredom’, which he regards as the contemporary optic through which all metaphysics occurs, including that of the human/animal distinction. The chapter introduces Heidegger’s argument that the concept of a metaphysical abyss between human and animal is the expression of a deep-seated inherited prejudice concerning a division between ‘life’ and ‘spirit’. This division is crystallised in the work of contemporary philosophers of culture, including Oswald Spengler, Ludwig Klages, Max Scheler, and Leopold Ziegler, all of whom Heidegger regards as ‘spokespeople’ of the contemporary epoch. The chapter examines Heidegger’s engagement with these thinkers, followed by his conclusion that their work signals a profound boredom gripping the age.