Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 10:42:30 -0800
Subject: Soul of Heidegger


Matt,

Being critical of assertions, issues, is just
a part of dialogue, in which misunderstanding
somtimes happens. 

Your words below re: spirit etc. are close to
my definition of "soul", or "self" --  
It's what you miss when someone you care about
is gone.

And you seem to be talking about the same thing
I had in mind when I wrote:

"souls of the living
 souls of the dead

 poetry and dreams

 we one by one
 make real.

 Other species,
 other brains,
 know other realities

 we think...

 what really happens
 talking to ourselves,
 talking to others?"

So I guess Heidegger, 65 years later is very
real for you, having aroused such moral 
bewilderment and concern.

But justice is about the future as Lyotard says.

Yes, the Holocaust was unique. But so is
the death of each parent, child or significant
other to the one who grieves.

Only artifacts and memories remain.

A few more years and the last person with memory
of the camps will die, and the anguish of  
that person's experience can only be simulated.

Which is the method we use to understand the 
pain of those Others we know best.

Regards,
Hugh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

that piece or connection between oneself and
the Other which I find most distressing about 
Heidegger.  It isn't that he didn't "think" 
the "the jews", but something else, the connection
in the mind, the conscience, or the spirit--whatever
you wish to call whatever transpires between
individuals in terms of understanding and 
dialogue--held within its workings something
missing in Heidegger, a "lacunae" or blind
spot that could permit him this reduction.