Environment Quote by Peter Sloterdijk
““...only very few - only humans, as far as we know - achieve the second level of transcendent movement. Through this, the environment is de-restricted to become the world as an integral whole of manifest and latent elements. The second step is the work of language. This not only builds the 'house of being' - Heidegger took this phrase from Zarathustra's animals, which inform the convalescent: 'the house of being rebuilds itself eternally'; it is also the vehicle for the tendencies to run away from that house with which, by means of its inner surpluses, humans move towards the open. It need hardly be explained why the oldest parasite in the world, the world above, only appears with the second transcendence.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Critique of Cynical Reason, Peter Sloterdijk, 1983
Human language creates a unified world by linking visible and hidden aspects, allowing deeper understanding beyond mere existence.
In simple terms: Language connects seen and unseen, forming a whole world.
Use language to bridge gaps and deepen perception.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic discourse
- creative writing
- cross‑cultural communication
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language shape your perception of reality?
- Can you identify moments when language revealed hidden connections?
Complex ideas may be inaccessible without prior philosophical background.