Dear Tony,
Point taken. I apologise if I was a bit off-mark, though given the =
amount of work you have done on this, I wonder if you were not being =
just a touch glib? I have been impressed that generally the level of =
the discussion has been high on this topic - it has not always been this =
way. I do worry, however, about the character of some of the judgments =
that are made. Moreover they are not "snap" judgments, precisely in the =
ease with which they are made. They are self-evidences, which means =
they are densely packed with a thinking that hides itself. I was being =
provocative - in that I think we all need to be provoked on this issue - =
provoked into thinking through what it is we claim the right to say. =
This is as true on the issue of Heidegger's political engagement as it =
is of any area of his work.
You have clearly done some hard thinking in this area, and I owe you the =
deepest respect in that you have. However, I would still owe you the =
same respect had you not. I think Heidegger deserves this same respect =
- so that we can engage with him. It seems to me that one cannot engage =
with what one has already and in advance valued at nought. One is an I, =
and I am not morally neutral, whoever I am.
Laurence
--- from list heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---
Point taken. I apologise if I was a bit off-mark, though given the =
amount of work you have done on this, I wonder if you were not being =
just a touch glib? I have been impressed that generally the level of =
the discussion has been high on this topic - it has not always been this =
way. I do worry, however, about the character of some of the judgments =
that are made. Moreover they are not "snap" judgments, precisely in the =
ease with which they are made. They are self-evidences, which means =
they are densely packed with a thinking that hides itself. I was being =
provocative - in that I think we all need to be provoked on this issue - =
provoked into thinking through what it is we claim the right to say. =
This is as true on the issue of Heidegger's political engagement as it =
is of any area of his work.
You have clearly done some hard thinking in this area, and I owe you the =
deepest respect in that you have. However, I would still owe you the =
same respect had you not. I think Heidegger deserves this same respect =
- so that we can engage with him. It seems to me that one cannot engage =
with what one has already and in advance valued at nought. One is an I, =
and I am not morally neutral, whoever I am.
Laurence
--- from list heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---