Always already is a

philosophical Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

term regarding the

perception Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous system ...

of phenomena by the mind of an observer. The features of a phenomenon that seem to precede any perception of it are said to be "always already" present.

Development

"Always already" literally translates the German phrase ''immer schon'' that appears prominently in several 20th century philosophical works, notably

Martin Heidegger Martin Heidegger (; ; 26 September 188926 May 1976) was a German philosopher who is best known for contributions to phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. He is among the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th ce ...

's ''

Being and Time ''Being and Time'' (german: Sein und Zeit) is the 1927 '' magnum opus'' of German philosopher Martin Heidegger and a key document of existentialism. ''Being and Time'' had a notable impact on subsequent philosophy, literary theory and many oth ...

''. The phrase is not specific to philosophy in German, but refers to an

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

or condition that has continued without any identifiable beginning. Heidegger used the phrase routinely to indicate that

Dasein ''Dasein'' () (sometimes spelled as Da-sein) is the German word for 'existence'. It is a fundamental concept in the existential philosophy of Martin Heidegger. Heidegger uses the expression ''Dasein'' to refer to the experience of being that is p ...

, the

human experience The human condition is all of the characteristics and key events of human life, including birth, learning, emotion, aspiration, morality, conflict, and death. This is a very broad topic that has been and continues to be pondered and analyzed fr ...

existence Existence is the ability of an entity to interact with reality. In philosophy, it refers to the ontological property of being. Etymology The term ''existence'' comes from Old French ''existence'', from Medieval Latin ''existentia/exsistentia' ...

, has no beginning apart from the world in which one exists, but is produced in it and by it. On the strength of Heidegger's influence, French and later English philosophers adopted the literal translation of the phrase. In the Marxist tradition, Louis Althusser observed that "individuals are always-already subjects" within an ideological structure before they perceive themselves as such—indeed, even before birth.Althusser, Louis (1970)
Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses
During the late 20th century the term spread into various areas of philosophical discourse that include literary theory,

hermeneutics Hermeneutics () is the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts. Hermeneutics is more than interpretative principles or methods used when immediate ...

and deconstruction.

References

* Tore Langholz, Das Problem des »immer schon« in Derridas Schriftphilosophie, Vienna 2016: Passagen. A priori Concepts in aesthetics Concepts in epistemology Concepts in logic Concepts in metaphysics Concepts in the philosophy of mind Continental philosophy Deconstruction Epistemological theories Existentialism Existentialist concepts German philosophy Hermeneutics Interpretation (philosophy) Literary theory Martin Heidegger Metaphysical theories Ontology Perception Phenomenology Post-structuralism {{Post-structuralism-stub

Development

See also

References