A Christian Reflection on Martin Heidegger

THE THOMIST A SPECULATIVE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY EDITORS: THE DoMINICAN FATHERS OF THE PROVINCE OF ST. JosEPH Publishers: The Thomist Press, Washington, D. C. ~0017 VoL. 41 JANUARY, 1977 A CHRISTIAN REFLECTION ON MARTIN HEIDEGGER* THE ENCOMIUM No. 1 AS ONE who pondered Martin Heidegger's writings, who had the great privilege of studying under him in Freiburg , who was considerably influenced by his type of thinking, and who has actually written, lectured, and given courses on him, I am honored to offer this testimonial, written on the occasion of his 85th birthday, to the man and his thought. Germany has meant a great deal indeed to the world in every aspect of civilized existence-scientific, scholarly, educational, technical, industrial, artistic, musical, religious-including even Orientalism, perhaps Germany's greatest single achievement *EDITORIAL NoTEs: Martin Heidegger died at Freibnrg im Breisgau (Germany) on May ~6, 1976 at the age of 86. I was privileged to know him personally and to attend his funeral. He was buried in Messkirch, his native town (not far from Beuron), near his parents. His nephew Father Heidegger, a priest of the archdiocese of Freiburg, took care of the funeral rites as the late philosopher had wished. A member of the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of 1 CHARLES H. MALIK has been in the realm 0£ fundamental thought, otherwise called philosophy. A cultured German may or may not have any particular avocation, but it is impossible £or him not to be in love with ideas, not to be philosophical. It would appear that, when it comes to the deepest and most creative thought, one is either German and therefore Greek in his thinking, or one is outside the pale 0£ this particular fraternity 0£ the spirit, with all that it has concretely meant in history. I say" German and the1'efore Greek," because this original Greek flame has passed on to the Germans more than to any other people, and they have abundantly honored it. In all universities 0£ the world more philosophy is taught today that stems originally from the Greeks or from the Germans than from any other people. It is therefore fitting that we meet to honor, while he is living, a man many consider, and I certainly believe to be, the greatest German philosopher 0£ the twentieth century, and Freiburg, Monsignor Bernhard Welte, professor of Christian philosophy of religion, gave the eulogy in which he drew special attention to the never ending search for truth in Heidegger's life. JOHANNES QUASTEN Catholic University of America Honorary Professor: University of Freiburg Charles Malik delivered this critique of Heidegger's thought over a year before his death in an opening address to a symposium held at the Goethe Institute in Beirut, Lebanon, on the occasion of Heidegger's S5th birthday. That address, subsequently modified and amplified, is here printed in its entirety. The flowing style of Malik's rhetoric contrasts sharply with Heidegger's dense, hyphenated prose, to which our readers are perhaps more accustomed. We believe that Malik's critique will be of Bpecial inteI'est to them, however, first as a testimonial to Heidegger, and secondly, as offering the reflections of a devout Christian on the alternative possibilities, so much discussed by scholars in our times, either of Heideggerizing theology ur of theologizing Heidegger. Dr. Malik, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the American University of Beirut and former President of the General Assembly and of the Security Council of the United Nations, is eminently prepared to give a critique of this type. He did his doctorate in philosophy at Harvard under ·whitehead before studying intensively under Heidegger at Freiburg, and so understands well the intricacies of both process and existentialist thought, as well as what each has to offer the development of Christian theology. REFLECTION ON HEIDEGGER 3 one of the greatest thinkers in all German history. Such statements may appear to lack responsible reserve; often they sound romantic and sentimental; but all sentimental romanticism about the present one disappears once you subject yourself to a real Heideggerian treatment. Secondly, I want to seize this happy opportunity to express my humble gratitude to Martin Heidegger himself...