Ψυχή and Bewegtheit: soul as movement in early heideggerian interpretation of Aristotle

Abstract

In his early thought, Heidegger reads Aristotle and gets from him an important idea of moods (Stimmungen). At first he denounces the metaphysical interpretation of ψυχή as ουσία, which leads to think that moods are something to remove. Heidegger claims that soul is instead a movement-towards: human being is moved by his πάθη. Motility is not just a physical problem but an anthropological element, given by moods. At the beginning of each movement there is a στέρησις, a lack: soul’s limit, human finitude. Movement is the real essence of facticity: Stimmungen and Bewegtheit are almost the same.