Definitions HQ

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a clear grasp of a thing as a whole which involves no necessary reference to any preceding process of thought.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a kind of attunedness.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a kind of know-how that takes form in directed coping, local background, and general background.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠about asking questions about being whereas science is that which tells us things.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠always pressing forward into possibilities because it has in itself the existential structure of 'projection', a kind of non-thematic grasping, or possibility, through which understanding develops itself in the process we call interpretation.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an activity directed toward bringing something about. The activity of coping with the available proceeds by pressing into possibilities. Such coping always has a point.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an outstretching act of hurling oneself out toward and then planting oneself within the open space in which the understander first comes to himself as a self.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠know-how, that is the ability to manage something or being competent to do something.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠know-how. It is 'being capable of' or 'knowing how' to go about something, as in 'understanding' how to handle men, or 'understanding' how to talk.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠like interpretation, concerned with the 'as-structure' such that to understand what a hammer is, is to take it or see it 'as' a hammer, 'as' a tool for hammering.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a cognitive phenomenon. It is not an act of cognitive grasping something thematically.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a particular type of knowing, distinct from other types such as explaining and comprehending, nor is it knowing at all in the sense of grasping something thematically. All explaining as an understanding disclosure of what we do not understand is rooted in dasein's primary understanding.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not an ascertaining cognition of the inner 'experiences' but is a 'projection, an opening up, hurling oneself out to, and planting oneself in, the open space in which the understander first comes to himself as a self -being is not a product of the subject... dasein overcomes all subjectivity and springs from the essencing of being.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not, like comprehending, a particular type of knowing. Rather it is fundamental in our ability to find our way around in the world.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠practical in flavour: 'To understand how' 'to deal with something' 'being able to manage something' 'be up to it' 'be competent in something'.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠primarily related to the future, to our existential 'project' with all its concrete potentialities, and affords us our dimension of transcendence.

Understanding (n.) involves ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an 'as' structure. That is, to understand what a hammer is is to take it or see it as a hammer, as a tool for hammering. To understand a hammer is to take a hammer 'as' a hammer.

Understanding (n.) appropriates ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠understandingly that which is understood by it.

Understanding (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be lit up, that is, that which can be pointed out to those who share it. We cannot spell it out, that is, make it understandable even to those who do not share it.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the understanding of the possible roles that things can play in the world.