Heidegger and Marx - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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By KurtFF8
#14105382
Yesterday, a professor of mine claimed that in a way Heidegger was more "radical" than Marx in that he had a more fundamental critique of the West than Marx's "progressivist" view of class society and working class revolution.

I can certainly understand his point in the context of Heidegger's writings on technology and mass society, but I think it relies on a kind of caricatured Marx that folks like David Harvey have done a great job at "debunking."

Evidently folks like Henri Lefebvre attempted to fuse the two although I'm not too familiar with these works.

Thoughts?
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By Paradigm
#14105544
Heidegger's critique of the West was a reactionary one in the German romantic tradition, which is rather consistent with his support for the Nazis. Of course, his ideas can be taken in a radical direction, as seen in the case of people like Sartre and Merleau-Ponty, but that does not make his ideas radical in themselves. As for fusing the two together, I hear that Marcuse was influenced by Heidegger.
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By KurtFF8
#14106153
Well Marcuse was Heidegger's student, and his writings on technology are indeed quite influenced by him.

And the point of his philosophy being inherently reactionary is one I agree with. Heidegger was often (usually by his apologists) accused of just "not understanding politics." I think this is quite a weak defense. I also think that his continued popularity is quite problematic for both philosophy and the "post-modern Left"
#14114162
It's difficult to suggest that Heidegger was more radical than Marx on a social level. Heidegger's philosophy left little room for deconstructing mechanisms of power in society, which, in relation to capitalist society, was a primary agenda for Marx. Heidegger's philosophy led to psychological O resignation, something that in many ways came out in the "New Left". Furthermore, Marxist analysis--or at least work more influenced from Marx--depends more on a socio-historical analysis, whereas Heideggerian analysis turns to ontological issues and history is not as critically engaged.

I also think that his continued popularity is quite problematic for both philosophy and the "post-modern Left"


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