My position on Heidegger
I think I should try to explain my own position on Heidegger. Before coming to Being and Time, my knowledge of him was perhaps a little more than rudimentary, for example, I read Rüdiger Safranski's excellent biography and maybe a few introductory works as well over the years. I say this in case some of my thoughts seem naïve to people more well-versed in Heidegger's philosophy than I am.
Heidegger's Politics
Perhaps I am wrong to anticipate a significant thrust of the comments might be about Heidegger the man, rather than his philosophy, particularly his involvement with the Nazi partly in the 1930s. This is a contentious area, and I do not pretend to be able to suspend moral judgements about it. (If you want more background on the issue of Heidegger's involvement with the Nazi Party, I suggest you try here or here)
I want to say that, although I do hold strong views about this, I do not believe that this particular document is the proper place to air them. It is the text of Being and Time that is at issue here, not the politics of the man. Now I appreciate that many have argued a person's philosophy and their political views are inexorably intertwined. I think they are probably right actually. But finding compelling evidence to substantiate this–and a convincing theoretical framework to hang it from–is an extremely complex and challenging task IMHO. If I were to attempt such a thing, it would inevitably change the focus this work, pulling it in a different direction to where I want to go.
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