“The 'they-self' of Dasein is the 'who,' not this one, not that one, not oneself, not some people and not the sum of them all. The 'who' is the neuter, the 'they' (das Man). Dasein in its average everydayness is dominated by the 'they,' and this dominance amounts to the fact that Dasein has no way of escaping from it.”
—
Martin Heidegger
Being and Time (1927), Division I, Section 2, Chapter 4
Commentary
Heidegger distinguishes between authentic and inauthentic modes of being. The 'they-self' (das Man) represents the anonymous, conformist masses—'everyone does it.' Authentic existence requires owning one's freedom and responsibility, confronting mortality and finitude.
This concept influenced existentialism's emphasis on individual choice and the anxiety of freedom. It critiques modern society's absorption into impersonal systems and norms, where responsibility is diffused into 'they say' and 'one does.' Authentic Dasein must resist this leveling.
Commentary
Heidegger distinguishes between authentic and inauthentic modes of being. The 'they-self' (das Man) represents the anonymous, conformist masses—'everyone does it.' Authentic existence requires owning one's freedom and responsibility, confronting mortality and finitude.
This concept influenced existentialism's emphasis on individual choice and the anxiety of freedom. It critiques modern society's absorption into impersonal systems and norms, where responsibility is diffused into 'they say' and 'one does.' Authentic Dasein must resist this leveling.