Heidegger was born in Meßkirch, Germany. He was a student of Edmund Husserl. Under the Nazi regime, Heidegger rose to prominence as Rector of the University of Freiburg. Many agree that Heidegger himself was not an anti-Semite but an opportunist and a coward. He was de-Nazified, but in his last interview, he famously fails to denounce his Nazi Past. Some Heidegger scholars see his
works in his later years as devoted to the kind of values that would directly oppose the National Socialist Party. Either way, Heidegger is a controversial man with controversial philosophy. The influence of his thought can be found here in the U.S. and abroad in places like Japan and Iran. Heidegger is internationally known and respected in spite of his past.
To what extent should the personal history of an individual color our perception of his or her philosophy?
I think the extent to which one should color our perception on her/his philosophy should be based on whether or not the philosopher was doing philosophy in search of the truth and not based on motives that hinge upon anything else (money, fame, government, etc). How is one to know whether the philosopher in question is acting solely in search of the truth? I have no clue. =)
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