<div>Dennis, Ah, but you didn't read what I wrote.  They say they understand, in this case about Heidegger's ontology of death, but analyzing what Heidegger actually says their claims fall apart. And you don't seem to be reading the thread.  The claim, by Chris is that Heidegger is a great and original philosopher.  The claim by Justin is that he has said something original about death, something no other philosopher has said.  I make no such claim except to analyze the banalities, truisms, and self-contradictions of the argument itself.   The reason I do so is because I think that obscurantism is dangerous, probably more dangerous among intellectuals than among the benighted masses.  So Heidegger obscure prose, his ontology of death, his epistemology of the will, his anti-enlightenment attitude, his platitudes about technology, his misconception of language, and his fascism are all of a piece.  And it leads intellectuals to rejection of communication and self-education with the rest of us... taxi-drivers, construction workers, store clerks... just to name a few of my jobs.  Further, by your reasoning if someone makes a bad argument but that argument "speaks" to you, it shouldn't be pointed out that the argument is bad? Jerry</div> <div> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Dennis Claxton <<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:ddclaxton@earthlink.net" target="_blank"> ddclaxton@earthlink.net</a>> Date: May 10, 2006 4:14 PM Subject: [lbo-talk] Grappling with Heidegger To: <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:lbo-talk@lbo-talk.org" target="_blank"> lbo-talk@lbo-talk.org</a> > >If Heidegger is only repeating banalities, truisms or propounding >bad poetry about death, why should he be celebrated as a great philosopher? That's what I mean.  I don't think anybody was overly concerned with celebrating a great philosopher.  They were just pointing out that someone spoke to them in important ways. >makes your impenetrable prose irrelevant and simply a form of obscurantism. I never get this either.  If somebody says they understand something, then how is it impenetrable? ___________________________________ <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk" target="_blank"> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk</a> </div> <div>-- Jerry Monaco's Philosophy, Politics, Culture Weblog is Shandean Postscripts to Politics, Philosophy, and Culture <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://monacojerry.livejournal.com/" target="_blank"> http://monacojerry.livejournal.com/</a> His fiction, poetry, weblog is Hopeful Monsters: Fiction, Poetry, Memories <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/jerrymonaco/" target="_blank"> http://www.livejournal.com/users/jerrymonaco/ </a> Notes, Quotes, Images - From some of my reading and browsing <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/jerry_quotes/" target="_blank"> http://www.livejournal.com/community/jerry_quotes/</a> </div> -- Jerry Monaco's Philosophy, Politics, Culture Weblog is Shandean Postscripts to Politics, Philosophy, and Culture <a href="http://monacojerry.livejournal.com/"> http://monacojerry.livejournal.com/</a> His fiction, poetry, weblog is Hopeful Monsters: Fiction, Poetry, Memories <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/jerrymonaco/">http://www.livejournal.com/users/jerrymonaco/ </a> Notes, Quotes, Images - From some of my reading and browsing <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/jerry_quotes/">http://www.livejournal.com/community/jerry_quotes/</a>