The Ontological a Priori of Truth as Freedom

Barry Allen on Heidegger

Abstract

In this paper, I attempt to reassess Heidegger’s understanding of truth as aletheia with a critical look at Barry Allen’s notion of “onto-logic” according to which the logical possibility of truth derives from the idea of self-ruled ontology. By dwelling on Heidegger’s conception of ontological difference and his delineation of freedom as the essence of truth, Allen accuses Heidegger of embracing the traditional onto-logic of truth and being wherein truth is associated with being, therefore, attributing self-sameness to Being, contrasting with the intricate process of becoming. Allen’s interpretation of Heidegger, however, poses certain issues when we consider the relationship between Being, Dasein, and truth as entailing and giving rise to dynamic happening. In order to argue for this point, I focus on Heidegger’s key formulation that the essence of truth is the truth of essence and his characterization of Ereignis as “appropriation.” I maintain that this way of investigation helps to portray the intrinsic relationship between concealment and unconcealment in terms of dynamic interplay, thereby dealing effectively with Allen’s limiting Heidegger’s philosophy to classical ontology.