Täglichkeit

Täglichkeit is a German term that denotes the everydayness or quotidian character of human existence. It refers to the habitual, practical, and socially embedded nature of daily life, contrasting with extraordinary events or theoretical reflection. The word derives from Tag (day) with the suffix -lichkeit and is often used interchangeably with Alltag or Alltäglichkeit in ordinary speech; in philosophy, it functions as a distinct analytic concept.

In Martin Heidegger's phenomenology, Täglichkeit describes how Dasein is ordinarily situated in the world through care, concern, and practical involvement with tools, others, and tasks. Things are encountered as ready-to-hand rather than merely present-at-hand, and daily life is organized by routines, schedules, and social norms. This everyday background constitutes the horizon that makes possible meaning, while at the same time it can obscure awareness of mortality and existential possibilities.

Philosophically, Täglichkeit is often set in contrast to authenticity. While the everyday ensures functional coherence and social belonging, it can lead to inauthentic repetition if one uncritically copies inherited norms and roles. Thus, Täglichkeit functions both as a descriptive category for how life is lived and as a field for exploring conditions under which more self-determined or authentic modes of life might be attained.

Outside philosophy, the term is widely used in sociology, anthropology, and literary studies to refer to ordinary life, daily routines, and the cultural forms of the quotidian, including work, family, and communal practices.