I'm not familiar the book in question, but I'd like to point out that
indicating contingent particular historical causes does in no way
necessarily invalidate an eschatology. For instance, adopting the
Heideggerian paradigm under discussion, pinning the origin of the
modern technological worldview on Bacon and on his personal agenda still
leaves open the question of why this particular move in intellectual
history took place at precisely this point and not at an earlier and later
date. Asking this question then seems to bring up the corollary, 'What
historical forces existed at the time which permitted or, possibly,
required that this move be made?' which, if it is seriously entertained,
leaves the door open to eschatology. We have only to consider what
Marxist thinkers have made of similar events to see that virtually any
historical occurence can be incorporated into a larger narrative structure
which both contains and justifies it.
--- from list heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---
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indicating contingent particular historical causes does in no way
necessarily invalidate an eschatology. For instance, adopting the
Heideggerian paradigm under discussion, pinning the origin of the
modern technological worldview on Bacon and on his personal agenda still
leaves open the question of why this particular move in intellectual
history took place at precisely this point and not at an earlier and later
date. Asking this question then seems to bring up the corollary, 'What
historical forces existed at the time which permitted or, possibly,
required that this move be made?' which, if it is seriously entertained,
leaves the door open to eschatology. We have only to consider what
Marxist thinkers have made of similar events to see that virtually any
historical occurence can be incorporated into a larger narrative structure
which both contains and justifies it.
--- from list heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---
------------------