my presentation was today, I ranted about Heidegger for the entire hour and a half. I called my presentation "Alathea, City in the Sky" in tribute to my current fleeting obsession.
but seriously, yes he made a seies of pro-nazi statements in 1933, and many people have read Nazi implications into his thought. But ultimately Heidegger is guilty of what philosophy is continually guilty of and that's a complete misunderstanding of the events that surrounded him and such a complete disconnection with them. And in no way does that vindicate him, I just think that one has to be aware of this when you read his work and not necessarily outright reject it.
OOOHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! rememeber our little discussion about the hitler youth! in the kitchen at 1060 #1!
i'm not disagreeing and saying that just because he was a fascist everything they say should be rejected...but just to clarify, he did more than make pro-nazi statements, he was a member of the party from 1933-1934, and continued, into the late 1960s, to be a nazi supporter.
again, this doesn't mean that his work should be discounted simply because of this, but i think that when dealing with him it's good to remember that he was an opportunist of the worst kind, and that perhaps [ahem] this influenced his ideas.
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but he was thoroughly fascist!
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but seriously, yes he made a seies of pro-nazi statements in 1933, and many people have read Nazi implications into his thought. But ultimately Heidegger is guilty of what philosophy is continually guilty of and that's a complete misunderstanding of the events that surrounded him and such a complete disconnection with them. And in no way does that vindicate him, I just think that one has to be aware of this when you read his work and not necessarily outright reject it.
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i'm not disagreeing and saying that just because he was a fascist everything they say should be rejected...but just to clarify, he did more than make pro-nazi statements, he was a member of the party from 1933-1934, and continued, into the late 1960s, to be a nazi supporter.
again, this doesn't mean that his work should be discounted simply because of this, but i think that when dealing with him it's good to remember that he was an opportunist of the worst kind, and that perhaps [ahem] this influenced his ideas.
some good links on heidegger:
the case of martin heidegger, philosopher and nazi - part 1 - the record
the case of martin heidegger, philosopher and nazi - part 2 - the cover-up
the case of martin heidegger, philosopher and nazi - part 3 - history, philosophy and mythology
and then there's also loren goldner's review of jeann-pierre faye's uh, thing, about al this: the nazis and deconstruction, jean-pierre faye ( ... )
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