Date: Sun, 31 Jan 1999 19:30:57 +0100
Subject: Re: Heidegger in Germany


Stuart,

Many thanks for your mail about the philosopher king. Your position is a
very interesting but also challenging one. After looking at it more
closely I found one of my positions no longer tenable. 
However, I also had the impression that Heidegger's thinking about the
philosopher king may have evolved, as you point out, but that this
evolution does not have to be a change - not in essence. 
For practical reasons (it would take too much explaining) I'll only
indicate why - trusting on your familiarity with the subject.
  
When Heidegger speaks about the original, collective will as a basis for
the university (in his Rektoratsrede, p 10) he uses the same words as
Burckhardt does when he describes the _polis_ as a product of the
collective will of farmers, villages etc. In other words, it is possibly
not too far fetched to think that Heidegger pleads in his Rektoratsrede
for a return to the Naturstaat, to the _polis_, - as opposed to the
actual _politeia_, i.e. that of the Kulturstaat. In GA53 Heidegger
describes in detail why the Kulturstaat should make place for the
Naturstaat (the _polis_).

Kindest regards,
Henk



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