The Darker Side of Light: Heidegger and Nazism: A Bibliographic Essay

Volume 10, No.1 Fall1991 THE DARKER SIDE OF LIGHT: HEIDEGGER AND NAZISM A Bibliographic Essay lean-Pierre V. M. Herubel Jean-Pierre V. M. Herubel is Assistant Professor of Library Science and Bibliographer for Philosophy, Political Science, and Art and Design at Purdue University's Humanities, Social Sciences and Education Library. 85 The controversy over Martin Heidegger's association with National Socialism still haunts modern scholarship. Heidegger's importance to modern and especially contemporary currents in philosophical thinking cannot be underestimated. His association with Nazism is no longer in question-but the measure of his culpability is. Two recent publications attempt to place the philosopher within the context of time and space.1 Gunther Neske and Emil Kettering's Mm1in Heidegger and National Socialism: f2..uestions and Answer.~ and lean-Fran~is Lyotard's Heidegger and "the jews" take up Heidegger's Nazi association and amplify the positions supporting his intellectual project during and after the period of Nazi power. Neske and Kettering's collection of essays provides accounts , reminiscences, and thoughtful examinations of Heidegger's life, but with a sense of intellectual diffusion. While it is important to give the reader facts, too much unfocused rumination impedes a clear discussion of the value of Heidegger's thought. Mal1in Heidegger and National Socialism: Questions IGiinther Neske and Emil Kettering; intro. by Karsten Harries, trans. Lisa Harries, Martin Heidegger: Questions and Answers (New York: Paragon, 1990); JeanFran ~ois Lyotard, trans. Andrea Michel and Mark S. Roberts, Heidegger and "the jews'" (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1990). 2rhe lower case usage for "jew" as opposed to the upper case usage demonstrates Lyotard's description of any group of individuals who is effectively "marginalized." For this reason, Lyotard is able to entertain a general condition. Also important is his dwelling upon Heidegger's desire not to speak but only to "hear," which mayor may not be coupled to his silence concerning "jews." In some fashion his mistrust of language as a vehicle for carrying knowledge may well illustrate his "silence." 86 SHOFAR and Answer-f, although still a welcome addition to the Heideggerian controversy , functions as a text for discussion rather than an incisive treatment. Lyotard's Heidegger and "the jews" addresses the disquieting phenomenon of Heidegger's silence after the war. Challenged by supporters as well as detractors to explain,his intransigent position and his refusal to speak of his Nazi activities, Heidegger remained aloof from the maelstrom which threatened to undermine his entire philosophical work. Lyotard examines this supposed damning evidence of Heidegger's darker side. Both books share a not unexpected theme. This is the idea that if Heidegger was a philosopher of acknowledged stature, he could not have been the Nazi portrayed by his detractors; and conversely, if he was a Nazi, even superficially, he could not have been the outstanding philosopher he is held to be. This dichotomy, however, may not be as useful as one might at first think. A fine and technically proficient intellect may have very little correspondence with what is generally conceived as just, moral, and good (our infatuation with postmodernist relativist permutations notwithstanding).3 Further, we know that many a doctor of philosophy in any number of disci31 wish to thank Dr. Samuel S. Shermis, Purdue University, for his insightful comments regarding domain theory, which states that training or education in a given area of knowledge does not translate into another area; i.e., a person may not be any more ethical than anyone else even if he or she is an ethicist. Also, 1 wish to thank Jeanne E. Parry for discussions concerning the concept of Heideggerian silence and "hearing" Being which may have bearing upon Heidegger's aloofness when confronted with the more humanly mundane. Volume 10, No.1 Fall1991 87 plines responded to the appeal of National Socialism.4 The depth of Heidegger 's Nazi convictions is not as crucial as his philosophy itself. Heidegger's thinking upon Being may have reflected his distance from human affairs. If as some have posited, he assumed a posture analogous to a high priest and ascetic, we can begin to see how he may have become remote from the mundane daily requirements of...