Islamic Art Studies

Islamic Art Studies

An Investigation of Death-Awareness and the Possibility of Breaking from the Subjective in Heidegger’s Thought, and Its Alignment with the Concept of Being in Herat School Miniature Painting

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Vahid Manajati 1
Bijan Abdolkarimi 2
Ali Moradkhani 2
1 Phd student of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/ias.2023.407904.2253
Abstract
In Heidegger’s thought, the encounter of the self with itself is an encounter with its own eventuality and perishability. Dasein (or the self) comes to understand, through confronting itself, that it has been "thrown" into the midst of the world, and death is the source of its existential anxiety. This self realizes that its death-awareness entails a rational justification—one that may allow it to actualize and consolidate itself through self-projection. It is within this inevitability that Dasein can attain an authentic mode of being.
This study employs a descriptive-analytical method, relying on library resources. Heidegger seeks to demonstrate that the self is not merely a subject; rather, its truth lies not in its subjectivity but in its being-in-the-world and its relation to Being (Sein) and beings (Seiendes). The history of philosophy and the metaphysical tradition have failed to liberate themselves from the hegemony of subjectivism because they have been unable to interpret human existence in terms of an openness to Being and poetic dwelling. By introducing death-awareness, Heidegger displaces the foundation and center of the subject, revealing that its ground does not reside within itself—for if it did, it would not harbor a desire for death. Dasein’s confrontation with death is crucial because death is an existential possibility that serves an illuminating function: it is through understanding death that the meaning of the self is unveiled. The concepts of Being and death also find clear expression in the miniature paintings of the Herat School.
Research Objectives:

To examine death-awareness and the possibility of breaking from the subjective in Heidegger’s thought.
To compare Heidegger’s conception of death-awareness with its manifestation in the notion of Being in Herat School miniature painting.

Research Questions:

How does death-awareness and the possibility of breaking from the subjective function in Heidegger’s thought?
How does Heidegger’s concept of death-awareness align with the representation of Being in Herat School miniature painting?
Keywords
Death-awareness
Heidegger
Subjectivism
Herat School Miniature Painting

Subjects

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