Prepositional Participation : an inquiry into the linguistic and ontological manifestations of the Indo-European preposition ‘With’

Abstract

In this dissertation, we examine the preposition ‘with’ and explore what about this particular linguistic unit may be philosophically significant. This exploration unfolds by commencing with a linguistic analysis of the Indo-European preposition ‘with’ itself, where it is examined through semiotic and semantic accounts. After extracting from these accounts a series of characteristics about this preposition, this exploration takes a turn towards the metaphorical, analogical, and symbolic interpretations of ‘with’ to further delve into its modes of operation. Following this, we then proceed to explore the ontological ramifications of ‘with’ through the elaborations of Martin Heidegger and Jean-Luc Nancy, after which we explore the metaxological extents of this preposition by applying to this the formulation of mediation put forward by William Desmond. We end with an account of participation, which is a pivotal characteristic of ‘with’, particularly though an account of the operation of ‘with’ within the mediation of immanence and transcendence.