From Mortals to Living Beings. A Matter of Responsibility

The dimension of the «living being» has somehow been neglected, though not ignored, by Heidegger also in the main texts in which he mentions the animal or various animals. I will try to show that the very, and always partial, consideration of «the living being», may enclose certain elements that point towards a specific relevance of «the living being» which would need further definition. From mortals to living beings aims to express the sense of the action of «human beings» (mortals) that originates in the living being and is involved in it. This action is always already a response which originates from the living being and is always and also directed to it as its goal. I propose to call this response «responsibility».