<div>On 5/16/06, ravi <<a href="mailto:gadfly@exitleft.org">gadfly@exitleft.org</a>> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> At around 16/5/06 1:51 pm, Charles Brown wrote: > Chris Doss > > Hey, Jerry was going to town for several days > ridiculing Ravi and Justin (and for a while myself, > until I decided it wasn't worthless) for having the > temerity to think something other than he does. > > ^^^^^^ > CB; I read most of this thread, and I disagree that this is what Jerry did. > Jerry, who seems an otherwise decent sort and amiable chap, wrote this: > I hear a lot of contempt for the thinking of fundamentalist > Christian's from most of my fellow intellectuals, but nothing can > match the wilful stupidity of those who actually think that Heidegger > has anything at all to contribute to intellectual culture. He already knew that I am one of those who thinks that Heidegger has something (Hell, I will go ahead and say he is among the top 10, to me, from the 20th century to have something) to contribute. I think Justin had written about his respect for Heidegger too, before Jerry posted the above. In essence, Jerry is accusing me (and Justin and Chris) of wilful stupidity.</blockquote><div> Let me apologize for the wilful stupidity quote. The statement was tone-deaf and overblown, to say the least.. I did not refer to anyone personally. If I had to write the words over again I would have written wilful blindness because I do believe that Heidegger's philosophy forms a kind of "blinkers" making people blinds to aspects of history, science, archeology, etc.  I also believe, both from my political experience organizing on campus and from my political experience in the Central American solidarity movement, that Heideggerians are less likely to be moved to support the kind of social movements I prefer than many fundamental Christians. I also think that Heidegger tends to blind people.  That said Ravi called me out immediately on this phrase at the very beginning of this thread and I believe he was correct to do so.  But if I truly believe that Heidegger makes people less intelligent than they would otherwise be, (sort of like joining the RCP) how do I express this without insulting you?  </div> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">I have since realized that Jerry (based on other messages, including off-list ones) is writing passionately rather than spitefully. And clearly he is an intelligent and well-read person too. As are Chris and Justin. This whole discussion could have been, therefore, so much more informative! Which is unfortunate! It's been about 10 years since I last read Heidegger -- I wish I had the time to go back and reread the stuff that I found so beautifully explanatory ("Sorge" for instance), driving away in mere days the fog of confusion and strandedness/alienation created over years of training in analytical fields and their false dualisms and reductionisms. Its funny Jerry mentioned David Attenborough: when we first got together, my [soon to be] wife and I traded books: I gave her my copy of Steiner's Heidegger and she introduced me to a set of biological/nature books, in particular David Attenborough's works of care, detail and beauty. We both were the better for the exchange (in our own words) and I remember her comment about how Heidegger describes exactly what is "authentic" (in the world, if you will) and hence what impressed her about Attenborough. The rest of you, I leave with the Heidegger thong: <a href="http://images.cafepress.com/product/37635080_240x240_F.jpg"> http://images.cafepress.com/product/37635080_240x240_F.jpg</a>         --ravi </blockquote></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>