RE: Heidegger and Marx


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From: Iain Thomson[SMTP:ithomson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 17 September 1995 14:11
To: heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Heidegger and Marx

Iain Thompson writes of Heidegger's critique of Marx:

Interestingly, it is after the sustained critique of Marx that
Heidegger launches his final return to Parmenides (as providing
access to being). On a superficial level this supports the idea
that Heidegger has replaced Nietzsche with Marx in the history of
being (in the twenty years since _What is Called Thinking_).

I take this as a sign that Heidegger recognized, by the end of his
life, the shortcomings of his Nietzsche interpretation.

This seems to me to be an extravagant claim to make. Does Heidegger in =
these transcripts explicitly counterpose his reading of Marx to that of =
Nietzsche? As far as I know, Heidegger does not claim that Nietzsche is =
the *last* nihilist, but rather the one who uniquely understood and =
played out its *Vollendung*. The 1955/56 text Zur Seinsfrage (published =
in English as The Question of Being, New York 1958) opens with a =
discussion of nihilism, technology and Nietzsche in the context of a =
reply to Ernst Juenger, in continuation of a whole discussion between =
Juenger and Heidegger concerning the nature of Juenger's essay "The =
Worker" (so that, in a sense, the question is at least raised of the =
belonging together of themes to be taken under the general title of =
nihilism). Heidegger also speaks, perhaps somewhat cryptically, of the =
"movement of nihilism" (die Bewegung der Nihilismus) which I understand =
to be a movement which may take a political character (though =
nonetheless belonging to the twists and turns - *Zuwendung* - of =
Being). This is confirmed when he says "In order that we may see =
nihilism in the phase of its completion we must accompany its movement =
in action ..."

I have for some time interpeted the many cryptic references in Zur =
Seinsfrage to mean that, at least by 1955/56, Heidegger understood both =
Nazism and Marxist Communism (and, actually American-dominated =
international capitalism) to belong together as part of the general, =
european, movement of nihilism. If this is so, then the distinction =
being made, that the critique of Marx supersedes or in some sense throws =
into question the interpretation of Nietzsche is false, because Marx and =
Nietzsche "hang together" *as* the unfolding (- entfaltet - a word =
Heidegger uses in the context of the "movement of nhilism") of european =
nihilism.

My point is simply this - we must perhaps exercise a little caution in =
seeking to make distinctions so sharply between the chraracters and =
validities of the various critiques on Heidegger's many "ways". I =
wonder if we should not detect sometimes a teasing humour in =
counterposing one facet to another of the discussion of one thinker to =
another in Heidegger's work. It was always die Wege, not der Weg.

On a point of reference, can anyone remember where Heidegger discusses =
why Marx is simply wrong - there is a reference which I cannot find, =
where he discusses Marx's classic distinction between philosophy as =
thinking and doing (ie philosophy must not simply think about the world, =
the necessity is to change it). Heidegger's riposte is particularly =
sharp, but I cannot find it.

I hope some of this is of use.

Laurence Hemming
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