BEING AND ENTITY IN TRADITIONAL METAPHYSICS

A HEIDEGGERIAN READING

Abstract

This article intends to discuss Heidegger’s interpretation of how traditional metaphysics conceived the notions of “being” and “entity”. In fact, according to the author, Western thought understood as metaphysics confused being and entity. In its beginnings with Plato and Aristotle, when the problem concerning the meaning of being gained breath momentum in the thought of these philosophers, this theme had already fallen into oblivion and what both achieved in their reflections remained trivialized throughout the history of Western thought, with many distortions and misunderstandings, up to Hegel’s Logic. As a result, we will also analyze the consequences of this fundamental position, since by not thinking about the ontological difference, metaphysics has become onto-theo-logy.