In-der-Blog-sein

Ludwig von Mises Institute enjoys reviewing Goldberg's Liberal Fascism, and especially liked the bit on the Rektoratsrede.

We now come to my favorite passage:

In his infamous rectorial address, [Martin] Heidegger looked forward to the time — hastened by Hitler's efforts — "when the spiritual strength of the West fails and its joints crack, when the moribund semblance of culture caves in and drags all forces into confusion and lets them suffocate in madness." (pp. 174–75)

How can I possibly accuse Goldberg of distortion? Has he done anything more than quote a passage from the rectorial address? Well, let's have a look. In "The Self-Assertion of the German University," the address in question, Heidegger calls for teachers and students to will the essence of the German university: this essence is "the will to science as will to the historical spiritual mission of the German people as a people that knows itself in its state." (I cite from the same translation that Goldberg uses, which appears in Günther Neske and Emil Kettering, eds., Martin Heidegger and National Socialism: Questions and Answers [New York: Paragon House, 1990], p. 6.)

This will to science is to be achieved in large part by rethinking the beginnings of Greek philosophy. It is up to us: "Do we, or do we not, will the essence of the German university?" (Neske, p. 13). Heidegger then says, "But no one will even ask us whether we do or do not will, when…" following which is the passage that Goldberg quotes (Neske, p. 13). Goldberg has completely reversed what Heidegger is saying. Heidegger does not look forward to the spiritual collapse of the West. Rather, he warns that we may delay too long in our mission to will the essence of the university. If our culture "caves in," what we will is irrelevant. Further, although Heidegger criticized the philosophical notion of "values," he did not contend that "good and evil were childish notions" (p. 174).

  ¶ 3:23 PM