Two Understandings of Wonder and Their Heideggerian Roots: Alexandru Dragomir and Anton Dumitriu

Abstract

The question concerning the meaning of philosophical wonder has generated a lesser known but nonetheless significant debate during the last century, especially since Martin Heidegger addressed it and maintained that thaumazein is the fundamental disposition (Grundstimmung) of the Greek inception of thinking. This article brings forth a draft of two accounts on thaumazein, given independently by two Romanian philosophers, each of them is rooted in their own sense in Martin Heidegger’s thematizations. For this purpose, the first part of the article consists of a genealogical outline of Heidegger’s take on the problem which aims at indicating its essential developments.  The later part is based on an analysis of the two interpretations which in turn seeks to uncover both the Heideggerian legacy and their original contributions.

Keywords: thaumazein, philosophia mirabilis, philosophy of wonder, Alexandru Dragomir, Anton Dumitriu, Heidegger’s Romanian reception