1. BEING AND BUILDING The Relationship of Martin Heidegger’s Thought to Hitler’s Architecture

2. FRAMING THE QUESTION

3. The Puzzle Martin Heidegger Among the most important philosophers of 20 th century. Also, ardent supporter of National Socialism What gives?

4. Research Question Were Heidegger’s politics in fact a betrayal of his genius, or was Nazism a logical extension of his philosophy? Some possibilities: Heidegger was reluctant, confused, or separated politics and philosophy. Heidegger’s Nazism was logical; his philosophy supports autocracy, submission of the individual to the political community, exclusionary and reactionary politics, etc. Heidegger’s Nazism was mistaken; he got the best of his philosophy wrong.

5. Procedure Heidegger Being and Time Poetry, Language, Thought “Building Dwelling Thinking” Hitler and National Socialism Collected speeches Albert Speer Nazi architectural projects

6. COMPETING INTERPRETATIONS

7. Themes in Heidegger’s “Dwelling” Dwelling is being at home in the world, “for one’s place to show up as a dwelling-place” (Julian Young) Deep Ecology Dwelling in Nature Building Community The Fourfold, Heroism, and the Divine

8. Deep Ecology Heidegger as non- dualist, non- anthropocentric “letting things be” East Asian philosophy (Mahayana Buddhism, Vedanta, Taoism) Not similar to Nazism, but also a misreading

9. Dwelling in Nature Allow nature to be a place where humans dwell Anti-urban, but to what extent? Romantic, pastoral elements to Nazi ideology However, Hitler obsessed with urban planning, inhuman scale

11. Building Community “worlding of the world” through art, through architecture Late-Heideggerian dwelling occurs in such a community Interpret building as the work of a culture

13. The Fourfold Dwelling brings the Fourfold together The Fourfold: earth, sky, gods, and mortals What does Heidegger mean by “gods,” or “divinities”? If an extension of “heroes,” exemplars of a particular heritage, from his early work, deeply problematic. “Only a god can save us now.” (Der Spiegel)

15. CONCLUSION

16. Can Heidegger be saved? All the interpretations of Heidegger offered are problematic Perhaps a fifth explanation can be given: that Heidegger’s thought is rich, complex, and open to interpretation. Yes, Heidegger’s emphases on rootedness, community, and the spiritual rebirth of society lend support to totalitarian, revolutionary movements. However, Heidegger also provides profound insights and new thoughts. The tension need not be resolved.