Heidegger's disciple

Author: (American) Wallace
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: I—and many others—have always respected you as a philosopher; we have received countless teachings from you. But we cannot isolate the Heidegger who is a philosopher from the Heidegger who is an ordinary person, because it contradicts your own philosophy. A philosopher can be blinded by certain political affairs; in this case, he would openly admit his mistakes. But he cannot be blinded by a regime that killed millions of Jews—simply because they were Jewish—and spread a climate of terror in everyday phenomena, abandoning life, freedom, and the concept of truth in favor of bloody opposites. From any perspective, this regime is a fatal irony of the Western philosophical tradition that you once argued so resolutely and powerfully for. Do you really want to be remembered in the history of thought in this way? —A letter from Marcuse to Heidegger in 1948
We gave Heidegger a nickname: "The Little Magician of Meiskoci"
Heidegger was short and dark, but he had a knack for words, to the point where some words would vanish into thin air the moment they were on his lips. His lecture techniques were limited; he would first build an edifice of ideas, then dismantle it piece by piece. He would present riddles to captivated audiences, then leave them helpless. This skill sometimes produced extraordinary effects: it charmed many psychologically unstable types, and after three years of guessing those riddles, one university student even devoted her entire life to it.
Levit's recollection of Heidegger
Heidegger was a German philosopher of the 20th century, a representative of existential philosophy. His book Being and Time, published in 1927, established his position in modern philosophy. In 1933, he faced criticism for his involvement in Nazi politics, and his post-war refusal to examine Nazi issues further provoked outrage. His philosophy influenced generations, shaping the minds of renowned philosophers such as Hannah Arendt, Theodor W. Adorno, and others. This book is a specialized study on the influence of Heidegger on the thought of his outstanding disciples. It reveals the love-hate relationship between Heidegger and his disciples, uncovers many little-known historical facts, and showcases Heidegger's emotional and worldly side.