From: onstott@a.cs.okstate.edu (ONSTOTT CHARLES OR)
Newsgroups: sci.philosophy.meta
Subject: Re: Heidegger, Hitler, Racism and logic.
Date: 17 Aug 92 23:27:36 GMT
Organization: Oklahoma State University

From article <Bt4stL.Lxx@unx.sas.com>, by sasghm@theseus.unx.sas.com (Gary Merrill):
> 
> In article <memo.578614@cix.compulink.co.uk>, shaman@cix.compulink.co.uk (Leo Smith) writes:
> 
> But do not overlook this point:  If Heidegger *was* a Nazi (and I think
> the degree of his sincere committment is a matter of record), this can
> and should be used to *understand* what is meant by his philosophical
> writings.  I confess at this point that I have read little Heidegger.
> My wife has read more and I asked her the other night why it is that
> Heidegger seems to attract so many with an interest in *religion*.  I
> am really puzzled by this phenomenon, and have been since my days of
> teaching in a Catholic univeristy.  My wife speculated that these
> people are taken with certain terms that Heidegger makes use of ("care",
> "authenticity", etc.) and his apparent "humanism".  (I do not know if
> this is even remotely correct, but it does seem to be consistent with
> my [perhaps limited] experience of pastoral types.)  Now if (as seems
> clear) Heidegger was a Nazi, then a careful reading of his apparently
> "humanistic" writings may expose rather a different meaning to them
> than one might first suppose.  Thus certainly in this particular case
> I do not think we cannot distinguish Heidegger-the-human-being from
> Heidegger-the-philosopher.
> 
  First, the reason why people in religious studies are attracted
to Heidegger is from the simple fact that he opens the door
for a reinterpretation of theology.  Heidegger exposes several
problems with onto-theology without reducing the position of God.
"Care" and "Authenticity" as words may be found to be attractive at
first, however they carry specific philosophic meaning analyzed
bothed ontologically and existentially--thus, the religious aspect
could not be wrapped up in the idea of a care-structure and authenticity
alone.  These are fundamental concepts from which a theology could be 
built, but they do not address specifically religious ends.  See
the writings of Paul Tillich for a Heideggerian interpretation of
religion.  _The Eternal Now_, _The New Being_, and _The Courage to Be_
all shed some light on this disucssion.  

  Second, Heidegger is not a humanist--turn to Sartre for this sort
of interpretation of Heidegger--an interpretation that Heidegger 
deemed clearly wrong.  

  Third, as I have already said, and as one who has studied Heidegger
for a while, nothing within the writings of Heidegger would support
nazism; in fact, it would tend to be contrary to the ideas of Nazism.

> 
> I would be interested to hear from the Heidegger-volken why it is
> that Heidegger seems so attractive to those with a religious
> perspective.
> 
  See above.

> -- 
> Gary H. Merrill  [Principal Systems Developer, C Compiler Development]
> SAS Institute Inc. / SAS Campus Dr. / Cary, NC  27513 / (919) 677-8000
> sasghm@theseus.unx.sas.com ... !mcnc!sas!sasghm

BCnya,
  Charles O. Onstott, III

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Charles O. Onstott, III  Account at Oklahoma State University for summer.
Graduate Student in Religious Studies           onstott@a.cs.okstate.edu
University of Chicago
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