Abstract

Our self-awareness arises out of nature and simultaneously separates us from the natural world. As natural beings we are unexceptional; as the linguistic being we are exceptional. There is a fundamental tension at the core of our being. This article addresses the fact that our consciousness is grounded in the world and that language is the way we discover and make our way through the world. Attempts to separate our consciousness from bodily experience have led to forms of thought and actions that, ultimately, are at the root of our environmental crisis. The challenge is to reconnect our thinking with our physical presence in the world. Our unique ability to use language can bring us to our senses. Drawing on ideas from Martin Heidegger’s later essays on language and dwelling, as well as other sources, this article focuses on the unique nature of the human being as the being with language and the ethical consequences that arise from our self-awareness in the world.