Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 13:19:41 +0100
Subject: Heidegger in Germany


Frank Edler wrote:

> Your argument seems to be the following:
> 
> 1. If anyone joined the NSDAP, then he/she necessarily believed in racism and in the
>         extermination of the Jewish people.
> 2. Heidegger joined the NSDAP.
> _______________________________________________
> 3. Therefore, Heidegger believed in racism and in the extermination of the Jewish > people.
> 
> Is there anything wrong with this logic?

Frank,

You are not stating my position correctly. You forget that 
Heidegger did see racism as a necessity (cf. the 
Koinon-papers). The Endloesung is part of the program of 
the NSDAP since 1933. Heidegger was a member of the NSDAP 
since 1931/1932. He must have known about the discussions 
in his party. It was an essential part of the program and 
extensively discussed. Heidegger did not protest, nor did 
he resign as a member of the Party. My position is that
Heidegger therefore - in principle - did agree with this
part of his Party's program. UNLESS we should have to
conclude that his political insights and thinking are on
the same level as those of the mother of Martin Walser.

I would have expected a more fundamental criticism from 
you. If I am not mistaken you have written an excellent 
article on the subject of Heidegger's resistance in the
years 1934-1944. 

Perhaps we could agree on the formulation of the problem: 

Are there in Heidegger's thinking between 1934-1944 
indications of fascistoid thinking or not? If so, 
where are these to be found and how are they expressed?   

Or we may take the problem up from your side: Are there
indications of resistance against the policy of the 
Party? If so, where are these to be found and how are
they expressed? 

It may well be that we end up with a completely different
formulation:

There are indications of resistance against the policy
of the Party and there are also indications of fascistoid
thinking in Heidegger's publications between 1934-1944.
What should we make of this?

All this in the light of what Heidegger says in his
_Sophistes_:

"Die Geschichte verstehen, kann nicht anderes besagen, 
als uns selbst verstehen, nicht in dem Sinne, daß wir 
konstatieren können, wie es mit uns steht, sondern daß 
wir erfahren, was wir sollen."
Understanding history cannot mean anything else but
understanding ourselves, not in the sense that we are
able to decide where we stand but in the sense that
we may learn what we should do.

Kindest regards,
Henk




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