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6:CensorshipandtheImpositionofFormbyPierreBourdieu,inLanguageandSymbolicPower.byPierreBourdieu.(PolityPress,Cambridge,England,1992).pp.137160.
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[137]
6:CensorshipandtheImpositionofForm
Louche[skewed].Thiswordisused,ingrammaticalcontexts,toindicateexpressionswhichseematfirsttointroduceonemeaningbutwhichgoontodeterminean
entirelydifferentone.Itisusedinparticularofphraseswhoseconstructionisequivocaltothepointofdisturbingtheirclarityofexpression.Whatrendersaphrase
skewedarisesthereforeinthespecificdispositionofthewordswhichcomposeit,whentheyseematfirstglancetocreateacertainrelation,althoughinfacttheyenjoya
differentone:justasskeweyedpeopleseemtolookinonedirection,whiletheyareactuallylookingsomewhereelse.
M.Beauze,Encyclopdiemthodique,grammaireetlittrature,vol.2
Thespecializedlanguagesthatschoolsofspecialistsproduceandreproducethroughthesystematicalterationofthecommonlanguageare,aswithalldiscourses,theproductofa
compromisebetweenanexpressiveinterestandacensorshipconstitutedbytheverystructureofthefieldinwhichthediscourseisproducedandcirculates.This`compromise
formation',intheFreudiansense,ismoreorless`successful'dependingonthespecificcompetenceoftheproducer,andistheproductofstrategiesofeuphemizationthatconsistin
imposingformaswellasobservingformalities.Thesestrategiestendtoguaranteethesatisfactionoftheexpressiveinterest,biologicaldriveorpoliticalinterest(inthebroadsenseof
theterm),withinthelimitsofthestructureofopportunitiesformaterialorsymbolicprofitwhichthedifferentformsofdiscoursecanprocurefordifferent
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producersaccordingtotheirpositioninthefield,thatis,inthestructureofthedistributionofthespecificcapitalwhichisatstakeinthisfield.1
Themetaphorofcensorshipshouldnotmislead:itisthestructureofthefielditselfwhichgovernsexpressionbygoverningbothaccesstoexpressionandtheformofexpression,and
notsomelegalproceedingwhichhasbeenspeciallyadaptedtodesignateandrepressthetransgressionofakindoflinguisticcode.Thisstructuralcensorshipisexercisedthroughthe
mediumofthesanctionsofthefield,functioningasamarketonwhichthepricesofdifferentkindsofexpressionareformeditisimposedonallproducersofsymbolicgoods,including
theauthorizedspokesperson,whoseauthoritativediscourseismoresubjecttothenormsofofficialproprietythananyother,anditcondemnstheoccupantsofdominatedpositions
eithertosilenceortoshockingoutspokenness.Theneedforthiscensorshiptomanifestitselfintheformofexplicitprohibitions,imposedandsanctionedbyaninstitutionalized
authority,diminishesasthemechanismswhichensuretheallocationofagentstodifferentpositions(andwhoseverysuccessensurestheiranonymity)areincreasinglycapableof
ensuringthatthedifferentpositionsareoccupiedbyagentsableandinclinedtoengageindiscourse(ortokeepsilent)whichiscompatiblewiththeobjectivedefinitionoftheposition.
(Thisexplainstheimportancewhichcooptationproceduresalwaysgranttotheapparentlyinsignificantindicesofthedispositiontoobserveformalities.)Censorshipisneverquiteas
perfectorasinvisibleaswheneachagenthasnothingtosayapartfromwhatheisobjectivelyauthorizedtosay:inthiscasehedoesnotevenhavetobehisowncensorbecausehe
is,inaway,censoredonceandforall,throughtheformsofperceptionandexpressionthathehasinternalizedandwhichimposetheirformonallhisexpressions.
Amongthemosteffectiveandbestconcealedcensorshipsareallthosewhichconsistinexcludingcertainagentsfromcommunicationbyexcludingthemfromthe
groupswhichspeakortheplaceswhichallowonetospeakwithauthority.Inordertoexplainwhatmayormaynotbesaidinagroup,onehastotakeintoaccountnot
onlythesymbolicrelationsofpowerwhichbecomeestablishedwithinitandwhichdeprivecertainindividuals(e.g.women)ofthepossibilityofspeakingorwhich
obligethemtoconquerthatrightthroughforce,butalsothelawsofgroupformationthemselves(e.g.thelogicofconsciousorunconsciousexclusion)whichfunction
likeapriorcensorship.
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Symbolicproductionsthereforeowetheirmostspecificpropertiestothesocialconditionsoftheirproductionand,moreprecisely,tothepositionoftheproducerinthefieldof
production,whichgoverns,throughvariousformsofmediation,notonlytheexpressiveinterest,andtheformandtheforceofthecensorshipwhichisimposedonit,butalsothe
competencewhichallowsthisinteresttobesatisfiedwithinthelimitsoftheseconstraints.Thedialecticalrelationwhichisestablishedbetweentheexpressiveinterestandcensorship
preventsusfromdistinguishingintheopusoperatumbetweenformandcontent,thatis,betweenwhatissaidandthemannerofsayingitoreventhemannerofhearingit.Byimposing
form,thecensorshipexercisedbythestructureofthefielddeterminestheformwhichallformalistanalysesattempttodetachfromsocialdeterminismsand,necessarily,the
content,whichisinseparablefromitsappropriateexpressionandthereforeliterallyunthinkableoutsideoftheknownformsandrecognizednorms.Censorshipalsodeterminesthe
formofreception:toproduceaphilosophicaldiscourseofadulyformalnature,thatis,bearingthesetofagreedsigns(acertainuseofsyntax,vocabulary,references,etc.)bywhich
philosophicaldiscourseisrecognizedandthroughwhichitsecuresrecognitionasphilosophical,2 istoproduceaproductwhichdemandstobereceivedwithdueformality,thatis,
withduerespectfortheformsithasadoptedor,asweseeinliterature,foritsnatureasform.Legitimateworksthusexerciseaviolencewhichprotectsthemfromtheviolencewhich
wouldbeneededifweweretoperceivetheexpressiveinterestwhichtheyexpressonlyinformswhichdenyit:thehistoriesofart,literatureandphilosophytestifytotheefficacyof
strategiesoftheimpositionofformthroughwhichconsecratedworksimposethetermsoftheirownperceptionand`methods'likestructuralorsemiologicalanalysis,whichpurportto
studystructuresindependentlyoffunctions,arenoexceptiontothisrule.
Itfollowsthataworkistiedtoaparticularfieldnolessbyitsformthanbyitscontent:toimaginewhatHeideggerwouldhavesaidinanotherform,suchastheformofphilosophical
discourseemployedinGermanyin1890,ortheformassumednowadaysbypoliticalsciencearticlesfromYaleorHarvard,oranyotherform,istoimagineanimpossibleHeidegger
(e.g.aphilosophical`vagrant',oranoppositionalimmigrantin1933),orafieldofproductionthatwasnolessimpossibleinGermanyatthetimewhenHeideggerwasactive.Theform
throughwhichsymbolicproductionssharemostdirectlyinthesocialconditionsoftheirproductionisalsothemeansbywhichtheirmostspecificsocialeffectisexercised:specifically
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symbolicviolencecanonlybeexercisedbythepersonwhoexercisesit,andenduredbythepersonwhoenduresit,inaformwhichresultsinitsmisrecognitionassuch,inother
words,whichresultsinitsrecognitionaslegitimate.
THERHETORICOFTHEFALSEBREAK
The`speciallanguage'distinguishesitselffromscientificlanguageinthatitconcealsheteronomybehindtheappearanceofautonomy:beingunabletofunctionwithouttheaidof
ordinarylanguage,itmustproducetheillusionofindependencethroughstrategieswhichcreateafalsebreak,usingproceduresthatdifferaccordingtothefieldand,wheninthesame
field,accordingtopositionsandmoments.Thislanguagecan,forexample,mimicthefundamentalpropertyofallscientificlanguage:thedeterminationofanelementthroughits
membershipofasystem.3 Thewordswhichpurescienceborrowsfromordinarylanguagederivetheirentiremeaningfromthesystemconstructed,andtheoption(ofteninevitable)of
resortingtoacommonwordratherthananeologismorapureandarbitrarysymbolcanonlybechoseninkeepingwithacorrectmethodologythroughthedesiretoutilizethe
capacitysometimespossessedbylanguagetoportrayhithertounsuspectedrelations,whenitfunctionsasadepositoryforacollectiveendeavour.4 Theword`group'usedby
mathematiciansisaperfectlyselfsufficientsymbolbecauseitisentirelydefinedbytheoperationsandtherelationswhichdefineitsspecificstructureandwhicharethesourceofits
properties.Conversely,mostofthespecialusagesofthewordthatarelistedbydictionaries(e.g.inpainting,`thegatheringofseveralcharactersconstitutinganorganicunityinawork
ofart',orineconomics,`asetofenterprisesunitedbydiverselinks')haveonlyalowlevelofautonomyinrelationtothefirstmeaningandwouldremainunintelligibleforanyonewho
didnothaveaworkingknowledgeofthatmeaning.
TheHeideggerianwordsthatareborrowedfromordinarylanguagearenumberless,buttheyaretransfiguredbytheprocessofimposingformwhichproducestheapparentautonomy
ofphilosophicallanguagebyinsertingthem,throughthesystematicaccentuationofmorphologicalrelations,intoanetworkofrelationsmanifestedintheconcreteformofthelanguage
andtherebysuggestingthateachelementofthediscoursedependsontheotherssimultaneouslyassignifierandassignified.Thusawordasordinary
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asFrsorge(solicitude),becomespalpablyattachedbyitsveryformtoawholesetofwordsfromthesamefamily:Sorge(care),Sorgfalt(carefulness),Sorglosigkeit(negligence,
carelessness),sorgenvoll(concerned),besorgt(preoccupied),Lebenssorge(concernforlife),Selbstsorge(selfinterest).Theplayonwordsofthesamerootwhichisverycommon
inthedictumsandproverbsfoundinallpopularwisdomisonlyoneoftheformalmeans,ifdoubtlessthemostreliable,ofgivingtheimpressionthatthereisanecessaryrelation
betweentwosignifieds.Theassociationbyalliterationorbyassonance,whichestablishesquasimaterialrelationsofresemblanceofformandofsound,canalsoproduceformally
necessaryassociationslikelytobringtolightahiddenrelationbetweenthesignifiedsor,moreprobably,tobringitintoexistencesolelybyvirtueoftheplayonforms:itis,forexample,
thephilosophicalpunsofthelaterHeidegger,Denken=Danken(thinking=thanking),orthesequenceofplaysonwordsrelatingtoSorgealsbesorgendeFrsorge,thenotionof
`careasconcernfulsolicitude',whichwouldelicitaccusationsofverbalismwereitnotforthepatternofmorphologicalallusionsandetymologicalcrossreferencescreatingtheillusion
ofaglobalcoherenceofform,andthereforeofsense,and,asaconsequence,theillusionofthenecessityofdiscourse:`DieEntschlossenheitaberistnurdieindieSorgegesorgte
undalsSorgemglicheEigentlichkeitdieserselbst'(`Resoluteness,however,isonlythatauthenticitywhich,incare,istheobjectofcare,andwhichispossibleascarethe
authenticityofcareitself').5
Allthepotentialresourcesofordinarylanguageareusedtocreatetheimpressionthatthereexistsanecessarylinkbetweenallsignifiersandthattherelationshipbetweensignifiers
andsignifiedsisestablishedsolelythroughthemediationofthesystemofphilosophicalconcepts,`technical'wordswhichareennobledformsofordinarywords(Entdeckung,
discoveryoruncovering,Entdeckheit,discoverednessoruncoveredness),traditionalnotions(Dasein,awordusedincommonbyHeidegger,Jaspersandsomeothers)whichare
usedinawaythatimpliesaslightdiscrepancy,destinedtomarkanallegoricaldeviation(ontological,metaphysical,etc.),neologismsrecasttoconstitutepurportedlyunpremeditated
distinctionsoratleasttoproduceanimpressionofradicalovercoming(existentielandexistentialzeitlich,timely,andtemporal,temporalanoppositionwhichmoreoverplaysno
effectiveroleinBeingandTime).
Theimpositionofformproducestheillusionofsystematicityand,byvirtueofthisandthebreakbetweenspecializedandordinarylanguagewhichitbringsabout,itproducesthe
illusionofthe
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autonomyofthesystem.Bybeinginsertedintothenetworkofwordsthatarebothmorphologicallysimilarandetymologicallyrelated,andbeingwoventherebyintothetissueofthe
Heideggerianvocabulary,thewordFrsorge(solicitude)isdivestedofitsprimarymeaning,whichisunambiguouslyconveyedintheexpressionSozialfrsorge(socialwelfare).Once
transformedandtransfiguredinthisway,thewordlosesitssocialidentityanditsordinarymeaninginordertoassumeadistortedmeaning(whichmightberenderedmoreorlessby
theword`procuration',takeninitsetymologicalsense).Thusthesocialphantasmof(social)assistance,symbolicofthe`welfarestate'orthe`insurancestate'denouncedbyCarl
SchmittorErnstJiingerinalesseuphemizedlanguage,canmanifestitselfinlegitimatediscourse(SorgeandFrsorgearecentraltothetheoryoftemporality),butinaformsuchthatit
doesnotappeartobethere,suchthateffectivelyitisnotthere.
Itistheincorporationofawordintothesystemofphilosophicallanguagethatbringsaboutthenegationofitsprimarymeaning,thatisthemeaningwhichthetabooedwordassumes
withreferencetothesystemofordinarylanguageandwhich,althoughofficiallybanishedfromtheovertsystem,continuestoleadaclandestineexistence.Thisnegationisthesource
oftheduplicityauthorizedbythedualmessageregisteredineachelementofdiscourse,alwaysdefinedbybelongingsimultaneouslytotwosystems,theovertsystemofthe
philosophicalidiolectandthelatentsystemofordinarylanguage.
Ifonewishestoprisetheexpressiveinterestawayfromtheunsayableandtheunnameable,andsubjectittothetransformationnecessaryforittoaccedetotheorderofwhatis
sayableinagivenfield,thenonemustdomorethansimplysubstituteonewordforanother,anacceptableoneforacensoredone.Thiselementaryformofeuphemizationhides
anothermuchmoresubtleonewhichusestheessentialpropertyoflanguagetheprimacyofrelationsoverelements,offormoversubstance,accordingtotheoppositionestablished
bySaussuretoconcealtherepressedelementsbyintegratingthemintoanetworkofrelationswhichmodifytheirvaluewithoutmodifyingtheir`substance'.6 Itisonlyinthecaseof
specializedlanguages,producedbyspecialistswithanexplicitlysystematizingintention,thattheeffectofconcealmentthroughtheimpositionofformisfullyexercised.Inthiscase,as
inallcasesofcamouflagethroughformandinalldueform,asitisanalysedbyGestalttheorie,thetabooedmeanings,thoughrecognizableintheory,remainmisrecognizedin
practicethoughpresentassubstance
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theyareabsentasform,likeafacehiddeninthebush.Theroleofthiskindofexpressionistomasktheprimitiveexperiencesofthesocialworldandthesocialphantasmswhichare
itssource,asmuchastorevealthemtoallowthemtospeak,whileusingamodeofexpressionwhichsuggeststhattheyarenotbeingsaid.Thesespecializedlanguagescan
articulatesuchexperienceonlyinformsofexpressionwhichrenderitmisrecognizable,becausethespecialistisunabletorecognizethefactthatheisarticulatingit.Subjecttothetacit
orexplicitnormsofaparticularfield,theprimitivesubstanceis,asitwere,dissolvedintheformthroughtheimpositionofformandtheobservanceofformalitiesitbecomesform.This
impositionofformisbothatransformationandatransubstantiation:thesubstancesignifiedisthesignifyingforminwhichitisrealized.
Theimpositionofformmakesitbothjustifiedandunjustifiedtoreducenegationtowhatitnegates,tothesocialphantasmwhichisitssource.Becauseofthefactthatthis`lifting
[Aufhebung]ofrepression'asFreudcalledit,usingaHegeliantermsimultaneouslydeniesandmaintainsboththerepressionandtherepressed,itallowsforadoublingofprofits:
theprofitofsayingandtheprofitofdenyingwhatissaidbythewayofsayingit.Itisclearthattheoppositionbetween`authenticity'(Eigentlichkeit)and`inauthenticity'
(Uneigentlichkeit),whichHeideggercallsthe`primordialmodesofDasein'andaroundwhichhiswholeworkisorganized(evenfromtheviewpointofthemoststrictlyinternal
readings),issimplyaparticularandparticularlysubtleformofthegeneraloppositionbetweenthe`elite'andthe`masses'.`They'(dasMan,literally`one')aretyrannical(the
dictatorshipofthe`they'),inquisitorial(the`they'getsinvolvedineverything)andreduceeverythingtoitslowestlevel`they'shirkresponsibility,optoutoftheirfreedomandslideintoa
tendencytotakethingseasyandmakethemeasyinshort`they'behavelikeirresponsiblewelfarerecipientswholiveoffsociety.
Onecouldlistthecommonplacesofacademicaristocratismwhichrecurthroughoutthisoftcitedpassage,7 repletewithtopoiontheagoraasanantithesisofschool,leisureversus
schoolthehorrorofstatistics(thenotionofthe`average'),whichsymbolizesallthe`levellingdown'operationswhichthreatenthe`person'(herecalledDasein)anditsmostprecious
attributes,its`originality'andits`privacy'contemptforallthe`levelling'forces(whichothershavetermed`massifying'),firstandforemosttheegalitarianideologieswhichthreatenwhat
isachievedthrougheffort(`thefruitsofhardwork'),meaningculture(whichisthespecificcapitalofthemandarin,
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whoisthesonofhisworks),ideologieswhichencouragetheeasygoingattitudesofthe`masses'arejectionofsocialmechanismslikepublicopinion,thephilosopher'shereditary
enemy,andwhichisconveyedoncemorebytheplayonoffentlichandffentlichkeit,on`public'and`publicness',andofallthethingssymbolizedby`socialassistance',like
democracy,politicalparties,paidholidays(whichthreatenthemonopolyofschoolandmeditativeseclusioninnature),`cultureforthemasses',televisionandpaperbackeditionsof
Plato.8 Heideggerwastoputallthismuchbetterinhisinimitablepastoralstylewhen,inAnIntroductiontoMetaphysics,writtenin1935,hetriedtoshowhowthetriumphofthespiritof
scienceandtechnologyinWesterncivilizationisaccomplishedandperfectedin`theflightofthegods,thedestructionoftheearth,thetransformationofmenintoamass,thehatred
andsuspicionofeverythingfreeandcreative'(`dieFluchtderGtter,dieZerstrungderErde,dieVermassungderMenschen,derVorrangdesMittelmssigen').9
Butitisequallyclearthatamongphilosophicallydistinguishedmindstheoppositionbetweenthedistinguishedandthevulgarcannottakeonavulgarform.Academicaristocratism
distinguishesbetweenthedistinguishedandthevulgarformsofaristocratism.Itisthissenseofphilosophicaldistinction10 whichfrustratestheattemptsofHeidegger'scriticstofind
blatantlyNazithesesinhisworksandpoliticalwritings,andwhichHeidegger'ssupporterswillalwayscallupontoprovehiswishtodistancehimselffromthemostmarkedformsof
contemptforthemasses.11 Whatmaybecalledthis`primary'(inbothsenses)oppositioncanfunctioninhisworkonlyintheforminwhichitwasinitiallyandpermanentlyintroduced,
andwhichconstantlytransformsitselfashisotherwisestaticsystemevolves,takingonnewbutalwayshighlysublimatedforms.
Theimpositionofformisinitselfawarning:byitselevatednatureitindicatesitssovereigndistancefromalldeterminations,evenfromthose`isms'whichreducetheirreducibleunityof
athoughtsystemtotheuniformityofalogicalclassitalsoindicatesitsdistancefromalldeterminismsandespeciallythesocialdeterminismswhichreducethepricelessindividualityof
athinkertothebanalityofa(social)class.Itisthisdistance,thisdifferencewhichisexplicitlyinstitutedatthecoreofphilosophicaldiscourseintheformoftheoppositionbetweenthe
ontologicalandtheontic(oranthropological)andwhichprovidesthealreadyeuphemizeddiscoursewithasecondandimpregnablelineofdefence:hencefortheverywordcarriesthe
indelibletraceofthebreakwhichseparatestheauthenticallyontologicalsensefromtheordinaryandvulgarone,andwhichissometimes
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inscribedinthesignifyingsubstancebyoneofthephonologicalgames(existentiell/existenzial)whichhavesincebeensooftenimitated.Thusthedoublesidedplaywithdouble
edgedwordsisnaturallyextendedtothewarningsagainst`vulgar'and`vulgarlyanthropological'readingsattemptingtohighlightthemeaningsthatarenegatedbutnotrefuted,and
doomedbyphilosophicalsublimationtotheabsentpresenceofaspectralexistence:`Theterm"concern"has,inthefirstinstance,itscolloquial[vorwissenschaftliche]signification,and
canmeantocarryoutsomething,togetitdone[erledigen],to"straightenitout".Itcanalsomeanto"provideoneselfwithsomething".Weusetheexpressionwithstillanother
characteristicturnofphrasewhenwesay"Iamconcernedforthesuccessoftheundertaking".Here"concern"meanssomethinglikeapprehensiveness.Incontrasttothesecolloquial
onticalsignifications,theexpression"concern"willbeusedinthisinvestigationasanontologicaltermforanexistentiale,andwilldesignatetheBeingofapossiblewayofBeingin
theworld.ThistermhasbeenchosennotbecauseDaseinhappenstobeproximallyandtoalargeextent"practical"andeconomic,butbecausetheBeingofDaseinitselfistobe
madevisibleascare.Thisexpressiontooistobetakenasanontologicalstructuralconcept.Ithasnothingtodowith"tribulation","melancholy",or"thecaresoflife",thoughontically

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onecancomeacrosstheseineveryDasein.'

Theimpositionofasharpdividebetweensacredandprofaneknowledge,whichunderliestheclaimsofallgroupsofspecialistsseekingtosecureamonopolyofknowledgeorsacred
practicebyconstitutingothersasprofane,thustakesonanoriginalform:itisomnipresent,dividingeachwordagainstitself,asitwere,bymakingitsignifythatitdoesnotsignifywhatit
appearstosignify,byinscribingwithinitbyplacingitbetweeninvertedcommasorsignificantlydistortingitssubstantivemeaning,orjustsettingitetymologicallyorphonologically
withinatendentiouslexicalclusterthedistancewhichseparatesthe`authentic'fromthe`vulgar'or`nave'sense.13 Bydiscreditingtheprimarymeaningswhichcontinuetofunction
asahiddenpropforanumberofrelationsconstitutiveoftheovertsystem,oneprovidesoneselfwiththepossibilityoftakingthedoubledealingastepfurther.Indeed,despitethe
anathemathatispoureduponthem,thesenegatedmeaningsstillfulfilaphilosophicalfunction,sincetheyactatleastasanegativereferentinrelationtowhichphilosophicaldistance
isestablished,the`ontologicaldifference'whichseparatesthe`ontological'fromthe`ontic',i.e.theinitiatedfromthelaypersonwhoaloneisresponsible,
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throughhisignoranceandperversity,fortheculpableevocationofvulgarmeanings.Byusingordinarywordsinotherways,byrevivingthesubtletruth,theetumon,whichhasbeen
lostbyroutineusage,oneturnsthecorrectrelationbetweenwordsintotheprinciplebywhichphilological/philosophicalalchemystandsorfalls:`Ifanalchemist,uninitiatedinheart
andsoul,failsinhisexperiments,itisnotonlybecauseheusesimpureelementsbutaboveallbecausehethinkswiththecommonpropertiesoftheseimpureelementsandnotwith
thevirtuesofidealelements.Thus,oncethecompleteandabsoluteduplicationhasbeenachieved,idealitycanbefullyexperienced.'14 Language,too,hasitssubtleelements,
liberatedbyphilological/philosophicalsubtlety,suchasthegrammaticaldualityoftheGreekwordon(being),bothanounandaverbalform,whichpromptedHeideggertoremark:
`Whatisheresetforth,whichatfirstmaybetakenforgrammaticalhairsplitting,isintruththeriddleofBeing.'15
Thusassuredoftheeffectivenessofphilosophicalnegation,wecanevenrecallcensoredmeaningsandfindasupplementaryeffectinthecompletereversaloftherelationship
betweentheovertsystemandthehiddensystemwhichisprovokedbythisreturnoftherepressed:indeed,itisdifficultnottoseethisasproofofthepowerfulabilityof`essential
thought'togroundinBeingsuchrealitiesasthederisorilycontingent`socialsecurity'sounworthyofthoughtthattheyarenamedininvertedcommas.16 Thus,inthis`upsidedown
world',wheretheeventisnevermorethantheillustrationofthe`essence',thegroundingisgroundedbywhatitgrounds.17 `Forexample,"welfarework"[Frsorge],asafacticalsocial
arrangement,isgroundedinDasein'sstateofBeingasBeingwith.ItsfacticalurgencygetsitsmotivationinthatDaseinmaintainsitselfproximallyandforthemostpartinthedeficient
modesofsolicitude.'18 Thisblatantandinvisiblereference,invisiblebecauseitisblatant,helps,byitsaudacity,todisguisethefactthatcontinuousmentionismadeofsocialwelfarein
anentireworkostensiblydevotedtoanontologicalpropertyofDaseinwhose`empirical[i.e.ordinary,vulgarandbanal]need'forassistanceisonlyacontingentmanifestation.The
paradigmofthestolenletter,whichLacanillustrateswiththeanecdote,`WhydoyoutellmeyouaregoingtoCracowsoI'llbelieveyouaregoingtoLvov,whenyoureallyaregoingto
Cracow?',19 isusedbyHeideggertoencouragethebelief,byproclaimingwhatheisreallydoing,thatheisnotreallydoingwhathehasalwaysdone.Thereis,infact,nodoubt:
`socialwelfare,Sozialfrsorge,isindeed`concernfor'and`onbehalfof'
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thoseinreceiptofaid,whichdisburdensthemofconcernforthemselvesandauthorizestheirinclinationtobe`careless',to`takethingseasilyandmakethingseasy',justas
philosophicalsolicitude(Frsorge),whichisthesublimevariantoftheformer,disburdensDaseinofconcern,orasSartresaid(ormighthavesaid)in1943,freesthePoursoi(self
consciousbeing)fromitsfreedom,thusdoomingitto`badfaith'andthe`seriousmindedness'ofan`inauthentic'existence.`ThustheparticularDaseininitseverydaynessis
disburdenedbythe"they".NotonlythatbythusdisburdeningitofitsBeing,the"they"accommodatesDaseinifDaseinhasanytendencytotakethingseasilyandmakethemeasy.
Andbecausethe"they"constantlyaccommodatestheparticularDaseinbydisburdeningitofitsbeing,the"they"retainsandenhancesitsstubborndominion.'20
Theplaywiththepalpableformsoflanguageismostaccomplishedwhenitbearsonpairsoftermsratherthanisolatedwords,i.e.ontherelationsbetweencontradictoryterms.In
contrasttostraightforwardphilosophicalpunsbasedonassonanceandalliteration,`primordial'puns,thosewhichorientandorganizeHeidegger'sthoughtindepth,playonverbal
formstoexploitthembothaspalpableformsandasformsofclassification.Thesetotalforms,whichreconciletheindependentnecessitiesofsoundandsenseinthemiracleofan
expressionthatisdoublynecessary,arethetransformedformofalinguisticfabricthatisalreadymouldedpolitically,thatis,mouldedbyobjectivelypoliticalprinciplesofopposition,
andwhichisrecordedandpreservedinordinarylanguage.Thereisnootherwayofexplainingthepredilectionofscholarlylanguagesforbinarythinking:whatinthiscaseiscensored
andrepressedisnotatabootermtakeninisolation,butarelationofoppositionbetweenwordswhichalwaysalludestoarelationofoppositionbetweensocialgroups.21
Ordinarylanguageisnotonlyaninfinitestoreofpalpableformsavailableforpoeticalorphilosophicalgames,or,aswiththelaterHeideggerandhisfollowers,forfreeassociationsin
whatNietzschecalledaBegriffsdichtungitisalsoareservoirofformsofapperceptionofthesocialworldandofcommonplaceexpressions,inwhichtheprincipleswhichgovernthe
visionofthesocialworldcommontoanentiregrouparedeposited(Germanic/RomanceorLatin,ordinary/distinguished,simple/complicated,rural/urban,etc.).Thestructureofclass
relationsisonlyevernamedandgraspedthroughtheformsofclassificationwhich,eveninthecaseofthoseconveyedbyordinarylanguage,areneverindependentofthisstructure
(somethingforgottenbytheethnomethodologistsandalltheformalist
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analysesoftheseforms).Indeed,althoughthemostsocially`marked'(vulgar/distinguished)oppositionsmayreceiveverydifferentmeaningsaccordingtousageandusers,ordinary
language,astheproductoftheaccumulatedlabourofthoughtdominatedbytherelationsofpowerbetweenclasses,andafortiorischolarlylanguage,astheproductoffields
dominatedbytheinterestsandvaluesofthedominantclasses,areinawayprimaryideologieswhichlendthemselvesmore`naturally'tousagesconformingtothevaluesand
interestsofthedominantclasses.22 Butwhereastheordinarypracticeofeuphemization(asitispursuedin`politicalscience',forexample)substitutesonewordforanother,orvisibly
neutralizestheordinarymeaningofanexcessivelymarkedwordbyanexplicitcaution(invertedcommas,forinstance)oradistinctivedefinition,Heideggerproceedsinamannerthat
isinfinitelymorecomplex:byusingtheordinaryword,butinanetworkofmorphologicallyinterconnectedwords,heinvitesaphilologicalandpolyphonicreadingthatisabletoevoke
andrevoketheordinarysensesimultaneously,abletosuggestitwhileostensiblyrepressingit,alongwithitspejorativeconnotations,intotheorderofvulgarandvulgarly
`anthropological'understanding.23
Thephilosophicalimaginationwhich,likemythicalthought,rejoiceswhenthepurelylinguisticrelation,materiallyexemplifiedbyhomophony,issuperimposedona
relationofsenseplaysonlinguisticformswhicharealsoclassificatoryforms.Thus,intheessayTheEssenceofTruth(VonWesenderWahrheit),theopposition
betweenthe`essent'(Wesen)andthe`nonessent'(Unwesen)issuperimposedontheunderlyingopposition,simultaneouslyevokedandrevoked,betweenordera
kindofphantomtermanddisorder,oneofthepossiblesensesofnonessent.Theparalleloppositions,unequallyeuphemizedvariantsofcertain`primordial'
oppositions,themselvesroughlyreducibletooneanother,numerousexamplesofwhichappearinHeidegger'sworksubsequenttohis`reversal',reaffirminaform
whichissublimatedandwhich,themoreitisrootedinmisrecognition,isallthemoreuniversalinitsapplications(liketheoppositionbetweentheonticandthe
ontological)thefoundingopposition,itselfsubjecttotaboo.Insodoing,theyconstitutethatoppositionbyinscribingitinBeing(theontologizingeffect)whiledenyingit
symbolically,eitherbyreducinganabsolute,totalandclearcutoppositiontooneofthesuperficialandpartialsecondaryoppositionsthatcanbederivedfromit,oreven
oneofthemosteasilymanipulatedtermsofasecondaryopposition(asintheexampleaboveofthenonessent),or,byastrategythatdoesnotexcludetheformer,
simplyandpurelybydenyingthefoundingoppositionthroughafictitiousuniversalizationofoneofthetermsoftherelationinthewaythat
149
`infirmity'and`powerlessness'(Ohnmacht)areinscribedintheuniversalityofDasein,groundingaformofequalityandsolidarityindistress.Thepunsonthenonessent
harnesstheseeffectsandachieveareconciliationbetweenoppositesthatcanonlybecomparedwithwhatoccursinmagic:renderingabsolutetheestablishedorder
(conjureduponlybyitsopposite,inthewaythat,indreams,clothescansignifynudity)whichcoincideswiththesymbolicnegation,throughuniversalization,oftheonly
visibletermintherelationofdominationwhichestablishesthisorder.24
EverythingisthusarrangedsoastoruleoutasindecentanyattempttoapplytothetexttheviolencewhoselegitimacyHeideggerhimselfrecognizedwhenheappliedittoKant,and
whichaloneallowsoneto`graspthesensebeyondtheobstinatesilenceoflanguage'.Anyexpositionoftheoriginarythoughtwhichrejectstheinspiredparaphraseofthe
untranslatableidiolectiscondemnedinadvancebytheguardiansofthesanctuary.25 Theonlywayofsayingwhatwordsmeantosay,whentheyrefusetosayinnocentlywhatthey
meanor,whatamountstothesamething,whentheykeepsayingitbutonlyindirectly,istoreducetheirreducible,totranslatetheuntranslatable,tosaywhattheymeaninthenave
termswhichtheirprimaryfunctionispreciselytodeny.`Authenticity'isnotanavedesignationoftheexclusivequalityofasociallydesignated`elite'.Itindicatesauniversalpotential
like`inauthenticity'butonewhichonlyreallybelongstothosewhomanagetoappropriateitbyapprehendingitforwhatitisandatthesametimebymanagingto`tearthemselves
away'from`inauthenticity',akindoforiginalsin,thusstigmatizedasafaultguiltyofitsownfailing,sincethechosenfewarecapableofbeingconverted.Thisisclearlystatedby
Jnger:`Whethertoassumeone'sowndestiny,ortobetreatedlikeanobject:thatisthedilemmawhicheveryone,nowadays,iscertaintohavetoresolve,buttohavetodecide
alone...Considermaninhispristinestateoffreedom,ascreatedbyGod.Heisnottheexception,norisheoneofanelite.Farfromit:forthefreemanishiddenwithineveryman,and
differencesexistonlyinsofaraseachindividualisabletodevelopthatfreedomwhichwashisbirthright.'26
Thoughequallyfree,humanbeingsareunequalintheirabilitytousetheirfreedomauthenticallyandonlyan`elite'canappropriatetheopportunitieswhichareuniversallyavailable
foraccedingtothefreedomofthe`elite'.ThisethicalvoluntarismpushedtoitslimitbySartreconvertstheobjectivedualityofsocialdestiniesintoadualityofrelationstoexistence,

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makingauthenticexistencean`existentialmodification'oftheordinarywayofapprehendingeveryday
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27

existence,thatis,inplainspeaking,arevolutioninthought. WhenHeideggermakesauthenticitybeginwiththeperceptionofinauthenticity,inthatmomentoftruthwhereDaseinis
revealedthroughanxietyasprojectingorderintotheworldthroughitsdecision(akindofKierkegaardian`leap'intotheunknown),28 or,conversely,whenhedescribesman's
reductiontothestateofaninstrument,anotherwayofapprehending`everydayexistence',thewaywhich`they'adoptwhentheytreatthemselvesastoolsand`careabout'toolsfor
theirinstrumentalutility,andthusbecomeinstrumentsthemselves,adaptingthemselvestoothersasaninstrumentadaptstootherinstruments,fulfillingafunctionwhichotherscould
fulfiljustaswelland,oncereducedinthiswaytothestateofaninterchangeableelementinaset,forgetthemselvesinthefulfilmentoftheirfunctionwhenHeideggerdiscusses
existenceintermsofthisalternative,hereducestheobjectivedualityofsocialconditionstothedualityofthemodesofexistencetheyobviouslyencourageinaveryunequalmanner
andhetherebyconsidersboththosewhoensuretheiraccessto`authentic'existenceandthosewho`abandonthemselves'toan`inauthentic'existencetoberesponsibleforwhatthey
are,theformerfortheir`resolution'29 intearingthemselvesawayfromeverydayexistenceinordertoexploittheirpotential,thelatterfortheir`resignation'whichdoomsthemto
`degradation'and`socialwelfare'.
Thissocialphilosophyfitsperfectlywiththeforminwhichitisexpressed.Infact,onehasonlytoresituateHeideggerianlanguageinthespaceofcontemporarylanguageswhereits
distinctionandsocialvalueareobjectivelydefinedinordertoseethatthisparticularlyimprobablestylisticcombinationisrigorouslyhomologoustotheideologicalcombinationitis
responsibleforconveying:thatis,tohighlightthepertinentpointsonly,theconventionalandhieraticlanguageofpostMallarmpoetryinthestyleofStefanGeorge,theacademic
languageofneoKantianrationalisminthestyleofCassirer,andlastlythelanguageofthe`theorists'ofthe`conservativerevolution'likeMllervandenBrack30 or,certainlycloserto
Heideggerpolitically,ErnstJnger.31 Inoppositiontothehighlyritualizedandpurifiedlanguage(aboveallinitsvocabulary)ofpostSymbolistpoetry,Heideggerianlanguage,which
isitstranspositioninthephilosophicalorder,welcomes,thankstothefreedomimpliedinthestrictlyconceptuallogicoftheBegriffsdichtung,words(e.g.Frsorge)andthemeswhich
areexcludedfromtheesotericdiscourseofgreatexperts32 aswellasthehighlyneutralizedlanguageofacademicphilosophy.Takinghiscuefromthephilosophical
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traditionwhichencouragestheexploitationoftheinfinitepotentialitiesofthoughtcontainedinordinarylanguage33 andcommonsenseproverbs,Heideggerintroducedwordsand
thingsintoacademicphilosophy(accordingtotheparableofHeraclitus'oven,whichherelateswithselfsatisfaction)thathadpreviouslybeenbanned,butbyconferringanewnobility
onthemthroughtheimpositionofalltheproblemsandemblemsthatcharacterizethephilosophicaltradition,andbyintegratingthemintothefabricwovenbytheverbalgamesof
conceptualpoetry.Thedifferencebetweenthespokespersonsofthe`conservativerevolution'andHeidegger,whointroducedvirtuallyalloftheirthesesandmanyoftheirwordsinto
philosophy,liesentirelyintheformwhichrendersthemmisrecognizable.ButthespecificityofHeideggeriandiscoursewoulddoubtlessbelostifthetotallyoriginalcombinationof
distanceandproximity,ofloftinessandsimplicity,whichisrealizedinthispastoralvariantofprofessorialdiscourse,werereducedtooneorotherofitsantagonisticaspects:this
bastardlanguageembracesperfectlythepurposeoftheelitismwhichiswithinreachofthemassesandwhichoffersthemost`ordinary'peoplethepromiseofphilosophicalsalvation,
providedtheyarecapableofhearing,abovethecorruptmessagesofwickedpastors,the`authentic'thoughtsofaphilosophicalFhrerwhoisnevermorethanaFrsprecher,a
humbleadvocateservingthesacredwordandtherebymadesacred.
INTERNALREADINGANDTHERESPECTFORFORMS
FritzRingerwasnodoubtrighttoidentifythetruthaboutthereactionoftheGerman`mandarins'toNationalSocialisminthewordsofSpranger,who,in1932,believedthat`the
nationalstudents'movementisstillauthenticinitscontent,butundisciplinedinitsform'.34 Foracademiclogocentrism,whoselimitissetbytheverbalfetishismofHeideggerian
philosophythephilologicalphilosophyparexcellenceitisgoodformwhichmakesgoodsense.Thetruthoftherelationbetweenphilosophicalaristocratism(thesupremeformof
academicaristocratism)andanyothertypeofaristocratismincludingtheauthenticallyaristocraticaristocratismoftheJunkersandtheirspokespersonsisexpressedinthe
impositionofformandtheprohibitionagainstanykindof`reductionism',thatis,againstanydestructionofformaimedatrestoringdiscoursetoitssimplestexpressionand,insodoing,
tothesocialconditionsofitsproduction.Theonlyproofoneneedsofthisisthe
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formtakenbyHabermas'reflectionsonHeidegger:`Since1945theissueofHeidegger'sfascismhasbeenraisedindiversequarters.Itisessentiallytherectoraladdressof1933,
whenHeideggercelebratedthe"upheavalinGermany'sexistence",whichhasbeenattheheartofthedebate.Anycriticismwhichstopsthere,however,remainsschematic.Whatis
muchmoreinteresting,ontheotherhand,istodiscoverhowtheauthorofBeingandTime(themostimportantphilosophicaleventsinceHegel'sPhenomenology),howsuchagreat
thinkercouldstooptosuchanobviouslyelementarymodeofthought,whichanylucidanalysiscandiscernintheunstylizedpathosofthiscallfortheselfassertionofGerman
universities.'35 Itisclearlynotenoughtoguardagainstthe`elevated'qualityof`MartinHeidegger'slinguisticpostureasawriter'36 inordertobreakwiththeconcernforthe`elevation'
ofdiscourse,thatsenseofphilosophicaldignitywhichisfundamentallyexpressedinthephilosopher'srelationtolanguage.
The`elevated'styleisnotmerelyacontingentpropertyofphilosophicaldiscourse.Itisthemeansbywhichadiscoursedeclaresitselftobeauthorized,invested,byvirtueofitsvery
conformity,withtheauthorityofabodyofpeopleespeciallymandatedtoexerciseakindofconceptualmagistrature(predominantlylogicalormoraldependingontheauthorsandthe
eras).Italsoensuresthatcertainthingswhichhavenoplaceintheappropriatediscourse,orwhichcannotfindthespokespersonscapableofputtingtheminthecorrectform,arenot
said,whereasothersaresaidandunderstoodwhichwouldotherwisebeunsayableandunacceptable.Inordinaryspeechasinlearneddiscourse,stylesarehierarchicaland
hierarchizingan`elevated'languageisappropriatefora`toplevelthinker',whichiswhatmadethe`unstylizedpathos'ofHeidegger's1933addressseemsoinappropriateintheeyes
ofallthosewhohaveasenseofphilosophicaldignity,namely,asenseoftheirdignityasphilosophers:thesamepeoplewhoacclaimedthephilosophicallystylizedpathosofBeing
andTimeasaphilosophicalevent.
Itisthroughthe`elevated'styleofadiscoursethatitsstatusinthehierarchyofdiscoursesandtherespectduetoitsstatusareinvoked.Aphrasesuchas,`Therealdwellingplightlies
inthis,thatmortalseversearchanewfortheessenceofdwelling,thattheymusteverlearntodwell,'37 isnottreatedinthesamewayasastatementinordinarylanguage,suchas,
`thehousingcrisisisworsening,'orevenapropositionintechnicallanguage,suchas,`IntheHausvogteiplatz,thebusinessdistrictofBerlin,thepriceoflandpersquaremetrewas
115Marksin1865,344Marksin1880and990Marksin1985.'38 Asadiscoursewithitsownform,philosophicaldiscoursedictatesthe
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conditionsofitsperception.39 Theimpositionofformwhichkeepsthelaypersonatarespectfuldistanceprotectsthetextfrom`trivialization'(asHeideggercallsit),byreservingitfor
aninternalreading,inbothsenses:thatofareadingconfinedwithinthelimitsofthetextitself,andconcomitantly,thatofareadingreservedfortheclosedgroupofprofessional
readerswhoacceptasselfevidentan`internalist'definitionofreading.Wehaveonlytoobservesocialcustomtoseethatthephilosophicaltextisdefinedasonewhichcanonlybe
read(infact)by`philosophers',i.e.byreaderswhoarereadytorecognizeandgrantrecognitiontoaphilosophicaldiscourse,andtoreaditasitdemandstoberead:`philosophically',
inaccordancewithapureandpurelyphilosophicalintention,excludingallreferencetoanythingotherthanthediscourseitself,which,beingitsownfoundation,admitsofnothing
outsideofitself.
Theinstitutionalizedcircleofcollectivemisrecognition,whichisthebasisofbeliefinthevalueofanideologicaldiscourse,isestablishedonlywhenthestructureofthefieldof
productionandcirculationofthisdiscourseissuchthatthenegationiteffects(bysayingwhatitsaysonlyinaformwhichsuggeststhatitisnotsayingit)isbroughttogetherwith
interpreterswhoareable,asitwere,tomisrecognizeagainthenegatedmessageinotherwords,thecircleisestablishedonlywhenwhatisdeniedbytheformis`remisrecognized',
thatis,knownandrecognizedintheform,andonlyintheform,inwhichitisrealizedbydenyingitself.Inshort,adiscourseofdenialcallsforaformal(orformalist)readingwhich
recognizesandreproducestheinitialdenial,insteadofdenyingitinordertodiscoverwhatitdenies.Thesymbolicviolencethatanyideologicaldiscourseimplies,insofarasitbased
onmisrecognitionwhichcallsforremisrecognition,isonlyoperativeinasmuchasitisabletomakeitsaddresseestreatitthewayitdemandstobetreated,namely,withalldue
respect,observingtheproperformalitiesrequiredbyitsformalproperties.Ideologicalproductionisallthemoresuccessfulwhenitisabletoputinthewronganyonewhoattemptsto
reduceittoitsobjectivetruth.Theabilitytoaccusethescienceofideologyofbeingideologicalisaspecificcharacteristicofthedominantideology:utteringthehiddentruthofa
discourseisscandalousbecauseitsayssomethingwhichwas`thelastthingtobesaid'.
Themostsophisticatedsymbolicstrategiescanneverproducecompletelytheconditionsoftheirownsuccessandwouldbedoomedtofailureiftheycouldnotcountontheactive
complicityofawholebodyofindividualswhodefendorthodoxyandorchestrateby
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amplifyingittheinitialcondemnationofreductivereadings.40
Heideggerneedonlyassertthat`philosophyisessentiallyuntimelybecauseitisoneofthefewthingsthatcanneverfindanimmediateechointhepresent',41 or,ashe
suggestsinhisintroductiontoNietzsche,that`itbelongstotheessenceofeverygenuinephilosophythatitscontemporariesinvariablymisunderstandit'42 variations
onthethemeofthe`accursedphilosopher'whichareparticularlycolourfulinhisaccountforallthecommentatorsimmediatelytofollowsuit:43 `Itisthefateofall

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philosophicalthought,onceithasachievedacertaindegreeofstrengthandrigour,tobemisunderstoodbythecontemporariesitchallenges.Toclassifyasanapostle
ofpathos,anadvocateofnihilismandanopponentoflogicandofscience,aphilosopherwhoseuniqueandconstantconcernhasbeentheproblemoftruth,isoneof
thestrangesttravestiesofwhichafrivolousageisguilty.'44 `Histhoughtappearsassomethingalientoourtimesandeverythingcontemporary.'45
Thusthe`Letteronhumanism',moststrikingandmostquotedofalltheinterventionsaimedatstrategicallymanipulatingtherelationbetweenovertandlatentsystems,
andtherebymanipulatingthepublicimageofthework,hasfunctionedasakindofpastoralletter,aninfinitesourceofcommentariesenablingthesimpleevangelistsof
Beingtoreproduceforthemselvestheprecautionsinscribedineachofthemaster'swarningsandthustostandontherightsideofthebarrierbetweenthesacredand
theprofane,betweentheinitiatedandthelayperson.Asthewavesofdisseminationprogress,expandingineverwideningcirclesfromauthorizedinterpretationsand
inspiredcommentariestoscholarlytheses,introductorystudiesandfinallytextbooks,asoneslidesdownthescaleofinterpretations,matchedbythedeclineinthe
loftinessofthephrasingorparaphrasing,theexotericdiscoursetendsincreasinglytoreturntobasictruthsbut,asinemanationistphilosophies,thisdisseminationis
accompaniedbyalossofvalue,ifnotofsubstance,andthe`trivialized'and`vulgarized'discoursecarriesthemarkofitsdegradation,thusaddingevenmoretothe
valueoftheoriginalorfoundingdiscourse.
Therelationswhichareestablishedbetweentheworkofagreatinterpreterandtheinterpretationsoroverinterpretationsitsolicits,orbetweentheselfinterpretationsaimedat
correctingandpreventingmisinformedormaliciousinterpretationsandlegitimizingauthorizedones,resembleperfectlyapartfromtheirlackofasenseofhumourthosewhich,
sinceDuchamp,havedevelopedbetweentheartistandthegroupofhisinterpreters:inbothcases,theproductionanticipatestheinterpretation,and,inthedoubleguessinggame
playedbyitsinterpreters,invitesoverinterpretation,whilestill
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reservingtherighttorepudiatethisinthenameoftheessentialinexhaustibilityofthework,whichmayleadonetoacceptor,equally,torejectanyinterpretation,byvirtueofthe
transcendentpowerofitscreativeforce,whichisalsoexpressedasapowerofcriticismandselfcriticism.Heidegger'sphilosophyisunquestionablythefirstandthemost
accomplishedofthereadymadephilosophicalcreations,worksmadetobeinterpretedandmadebyinterpretationor,moreprecisely,bytheinteractionsbetweentheinterpreterwho
necessarilyproceedsbyexcessandtheproducerwho,throughhisrefutations,amendmentsandcorrections,establishesanunbridgeablegulfbetweentheworkandanyparticular
interpretation.46
Theanalogyislessartificialthanitappearsatfirstsight:byestablishingthatthesenseofthe`ontologicaldifference'whichseparateshisthoughtfromallpreviousthought47 isalso
whatseparates`popular',preontologicalandnavely`anthropological'interpretations(asisSartre's,accordingtoHeidegger)fromauthenticones,Heideggerplaceshisworkoutof
reachandcondemnsinadvanceanyreadingwhich,whetherintentionallyornot,wouldlimititselftoitsvulgarmeaningandwhichwould,forexample,reducetheanalysisof
`inauthentic'existencetoasociologicaldescription,assomewellintentionedbutwrongheadedinterpretershavedone,andasthesociologistalsodoes,butwithatotallydifferent
purpose.Bypositingwithintheworkitselfadistinctionbetweentwodifferentreadingsofit,Heideggerfindshimselfwellplacedtopersuadetheconsentingreader,whenfacedwiththe
mostdisconcertingpunsorthemostblatantplatitudes,toseekguidancefromthemaster.Thereadermayofcourseunderstandonlytoowell,butheispersuadedtodoubtthe
authenticityofhisownunderstanding,andtoprohibithimselffromjudgingaworkwhichhasbeensetuponceandforallastheyardstickofitsowncomprehension.Likeapriestwho,
asWeberobserves,hasthemeanstomakethelaypersoncarrytheresponsibilityforthefailureoftheculturalenterprise,thegreatpriestlyprophecythusguaranteesthecomplicityof
theinterpreterswhohavenooptionbuttopursueandrecognizethenecessityofthework,eventhroughaccidents,shiftsandlapses,orfindthemselvescastoutintothedarknessof
`error'or,evenbetter,`errance'.
Here,inpassing,isaremarkableexampleofinterpretationmania,callingonthecombinedresourcesoftheinternationalinterpreters'guild,inordertoavoidthe
simplistic,asdenouncedinadvancebyamagisterialpun:`InEnglishthisterm(errance)isanartefactwiththefollowing
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warrant:TheprimarysenseoftheLatinerrareis"towander",thesecondarysense"togoastray"or"toerr",inthesenseof"towanderfromtherightpath".Thisdouble
senseisretainedintheFrencherrer.InEnglish,thetwosensesareretainedintheadjectivalform,"errant":thefirstsense("towander")beingusedtodescribepersons
whowanderaboutsearchingforadventure(vg."knightserrant")thesecondsensesignifying"deviatingfromthetrueorcorrect","erring".Thenounform,"errance",is
notjustifiedbynormalEnglishusage,butweintroduceitourselves(followingtheexampleoftheFrenchtranslators,pp.96ff.),intendingtosuggestbothnuancesof
"wanderingabout"andof"goingastray"("erring"),theformerthefundamentofthelatter.Thisseemstobefaithfultotheauthor'sintentionsandtoavoidasmuchas
possiblethesimplestinterpretationsthatwouldspontaneouslyarisebytranslatingas"error"`48
Asthesourceofauthorityandguarantees,textsarenaturallytheobjectofstrategieswhich,inthesedomains,areeffectiveonlyiftheyareconcealedassuch,andespeciallythatis
thefunctionofbeliefintheeyesoftheirownauthorssharingintheirsymboliccapitalisgrantedinexchangeforthatrespectfortheproprietieswhichdefineineachcase,according
totheobjectivedistancebetweentheworkandtheinterpreter,thestyleoftherelationtobeestablishedbetweenthem.Whatisrequiredisamorecompleteanalysis,ineachparticular
case,ofthespecificinterestsoftheinterpreter,whetherresearcher,officialspokesperson,inspiredcommentatororstraightforwardteacher,accordingtotherelativepositionofthe
workbeinginterpretedandtheinterpreterintheirrespectivehierarchiesatagivenmomentandtodeterminehowandwheretheyguidetheinterpretation.Itwouldthusbeverydifficult
tounderstandapositionasapparentlyparadoxicalasthatoftheFrenchHeideggerianMarxistsfollowersofMarcuse49 andHobert50 withoutbearinginmindthatthe
HeideggerianwhitewashingexercisecamejustintimetomeettheexpectationsofthoseMarxistswhoweremostconcernedtoletthemselvesoffthehookbylinkingthepleibeia
philosophiaparexcellence,thenstronglysuspectedofbeing`trivial',withthemostprestigiousofcontemporaryphilosophies.51 Ofallthemanipulativedeviceshiddeninthe`Letteron
humanism',52 nonewasabletoinfluence`distinguished'Marxistsmoreeffectivelythantheseconddegreestrategywhichinvolvedreinterpretingforanewpoliticalcontext
committedtotalkingthelanguageof`afruitfuldialoguewithMarxism'thetypicallyHeideggerianstrategyofan(artificial)overcomingthroughradicalizationwhichtheearly
HeideggerdirectedagainsttheMarxistconceptofalienation(Entfremdung):
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`thefundamentalontology'whichgroundswhatMarxdescribedas`theexperienceofalienation'(albeitinamannerthatremainedtoo`anthropological')inthemostradicaland
fundamentalalienationofhumanbeings,i.e.theirforgettingofthetruthofBeing,surelyrepresentsthenecplusultraofradicalism.53
OneonlyhastorereadtheaccountofadiscussionbetweenJeanBeaufret,HenriLefebvreandKostasAxelos54 inordertoconvinceoneselfthatthisunexpected
philosophicalcombinationoweslittletowhatmaybecalledstrictly`internal'arguments:`Iwasenchantedandseizedbyavisionnotaparticularlyexactdescription
thatwasallthemorestrikingforthewayitcontrastedwiththetrivialityofmostofthephilosophicaltextsthathaveappearedovertheyears'(H.Lefebvre)`Thereisno
antagonismbetweenHeidegger'scosmichistoricalvisionandMarx'shistoricalpracticalconception'(H.Lefebvre)`WhatprovidedthecommongroundandIbelieve
linksMarxandHeideggeristheeraitselfinwhichwelive,theeraofhighlyadvancedindustrialcivilizationandoftheglobaldiffusionoftechnology...Ultimately,thetwo
thinkersdoatleastsharethesameobjective...Unlike,forexample,thesociologistswhoanalyseonlyspecificmanifestationshereandthere'(F.Chtelet)55 `Marxand
Heideggerbothproceedtoaradicalcritiqueoftheworldofthepresentaswellasthepast,andtheyshareacommonconcerntoplanforthefutureoftheplanet'(K.
Axelos)`Heidegger'sessentialcontributionistohelpusunderstandwhatMarxhassaid'(J.Beaufret)`TheimpossibilityofbeingNaziispartandparcelofthereversal
betweenBeingandTimeandTimeandBeing.IfBeingandTimedidnotpreserveHeideggerfromNazism,TimeandBeing,whichisnotabookbutthesumofhis
reflectionssince1930andhispublicationssince1946,distancedhimfromitforgood'(J.Beaufret)`Heideggeriswellandtrulymaterialistic'(H.Lefebvre)`Heidegger,
inaverydifferentstyle,continuesMarx'swork'(F.Chtelet).
Thespecificinterestsoftheinterpreters,andtheverylogicofthefieldwhichconveysthemostprestigiousworkstothereaderswiththegreatestvocationandtalentforhermeneutic
hagiography,donotexplainhow,atacertainpoint,Heideggerianphilosophycametoberecognizedinthemostdiversesectorsofthephilosophicalfieldasthemostdistinguished
fulfilmentofthephilosophicalambition.Thissocialdestinycouldonlyberealizedonthebasisofapreexistingaffinityofdispositions,itselfderivingfromthelogicofrecruitmentand
trainingofthebodyofphilosophyprofessorsandfromthepositionofthephilosophicalfieldinthestructureoftheuniversityfieldandintellectualfield,etc.Thepetitbourgeoiselitismof
this`cream'oftheprofessorialbodyconstitutedbyphilosophyprofessors
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(whohaveoftencomefromthelowerstrataofthepetitebourgeoisieandwho,bytheiracademicprowess,haveconqueredthepeaksofthehierarchyofhumanistdisciplinestoreach
thetopmostivorytoweroftheeducationalsystem,highabovetheworldandanyworldlypower)couldhardlyfailtoresonateharmoniouslywithHeidegger'sthought,thatexemplary
productofanhomologousdisposition.
AlloftheeffectswhichappearmostspecifictoHeideggerianlanguage,notablyalloftheeffectswhichconstitutetheflabbyrhetoricofthehomily,avariationonthewordsofasacred
textwhichservesasthesourceofanunendingandunremittingcommentary,guidedbytheintentiontoexhaustasubjectwhichisbydefinitioninexhaustible,representtheexemplary
limitandthereforetheabsolutelegitimationoftheprofessionalticsandtrickswhichallowthe`excathedraprophets'(Kathederpropheten),asWebercalledthem,toreproduce
mundanelytheillusionofbeingabovethemundane.Theseeffectsofpriestlyprophecythereforesucceedfullyonlyiftheyrestontheprofoundcomplicitythatlinkstheauthorandhis
interpretersinanacceptanceofthepresuppositionsimpliedbyasociologicaldefinitionofthefunctionof`thelesserministerialprophet',asWeberagainputitandnoneofthese
presuppositionsservesHeidegger'sinterestsbetterthanthedivinizationofthetextconferredbyanyselfrespectinglyliteratereader.Itrequiredatransgressionoftheacademic

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imperativeofneutralityasextraordinaryasenrolmentintheNaziPartyforthequestionofHeidegger's`politicalthought'toberaised,andthenitwasimmediatelysetasideagain,asit
seemedanimpropersuggestion,whichisyetanotherformofneutralization:thedefinitionwhichexcludesanyovertreferencetopoliticsinphilosophyhasbeensoprofoundly
internalizedbyprofessorsofphilosophythattheyhavemanagedtoforgetthatHeidegger'sphilosophyispoliticalfrombeginningtoend.
Butcomprehensionwithinestablishedformswouldremainemptyandformalifitdidnotoftenmaskakindofunderstandingwhichisbothmoreprofoundandmoreobscure,andwhich
isbuiltonthemoreorlessperfecthomologyofpositionsandtheaffinityofthehabitus.Tounderstandalsomeanstounderstandwithouthavingtobetold,toreadbetweenthelines,by
reenactinginthemodeofpractice(inmostcasesunconsciously)thelinguisticassociationsandsubstitutionsinitiallysetupbytheproducer:thisishowasolutionisfoundtothe
specificcontradictionofideologicaldiscourse,whichdrawsitsefficacyfromitsduplicity,andcanonlylegitimatelyexpresssocialinterestinformswhichdissimulateorbetrayit.The
homology
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ofpositionsandthelargelysuccessfulorchestrationofdivergenthabitusencourageapracticalrecognitionoftheinterestswhichthereaderrepresentsandthespecificformof
censorshipwhichprohibitstheirdirectexpression,andthisrecognitiongivesdirectaccess,independentlyofanyconsciousactofdecoding,towhatdiscoursemeans.56 Thispre
verbalunderstandingisengenderedbytheencounterbetweenanasyetunspoken,indeedrepressed,expressiveinterest,anditsacceptedmodeofexpression,whichisalready
articulatedaccordingtothenormsofafield.57
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nts
Note:134.ItisonlybyperceivingtheFreudianmodelasaparticularexampleofamoregeneralmodel,whichmakesanyexpressiontheproductofatransactionbetweenthe
expressiveinterestandthestructuralnecessityofafieldactingasaformofcensorship,thatonecanreturnpsychoanalyticalconceptstotherealmofpolitics,wheretheyareoften
formed.Thesocialrepressionthatoccursinthedomesticcontext,asthefieldforaparticulartypeofrelationofpower(whosestructurevariesaccordingtothesocialconditions),isvery
specificinitsform(oneoftacitinjunctionandsuggestion)andappliestoaveryspecificclassofinterests:sexualdrives.ButtheFreudiananalysisofthesyntaxofdreamsandofall
`private'ideologiesprovidestheinstrumentswhicharenecessaryforanunderstandingofthelabourofeuphemizationandimpositionofformwhichoccurseachtimeabiologicalor
socialdrivemustcometotermswithasocialcensorship.
Note:135.Ofcourse,nothingcontributesquiteasmuchtothisasthestatusof`philosopher'attributedtoitsauthor,andthesignsandinsigniaacademictitles,publishinghouse,or
quitesimplyhisnamewhichidentifyhispositioninthephilosophicalhierarchy.Toappreciatethiseffectwehaveonlytoimaginehowwewouldreadthepageonthehydroelectric
plantandtheoldwoodenbridge(seeM.Heidegger,`Thequestionconcerningtechnology',inBasicWritings,ed.D.F.Krell(London:Routledge&KeganPaul,1977),p.297)which
ledtotheauthorbeinghailedas`thefirsttheoristoftheecologicalstruggle'byoneofhiscommentators(R.Schrer,Heidegger(Paris:Sehers,1973),p.5),ifithadbornethesignature
ofaleaderofanecologicalmovementoraministeroftheenvironmentorthelogoofagroupofleftiststudents.(Itgoeswithoutsayingthatthesedifferent`attributions'couldnot
becometrulyplausibleunlessaccompaniedbysomemodificationsinpresentation.)
Note:136.`Atbottomeachsystemknowsitsownprimitiveexpressionsonly,andisincapableofdiscussinganythingelse'(J.Nicod,GeometryandInduction,tr.J.BellandM.Woods
(London:Routledge&KeganPaul,1969),p.11).Bachelardnotes,alongthesamelines,thatscientificlanguageusesinvertedcommastoindicatewhenthewordsitretainsfroman
ordinaryorformerlyscientificlanguagearecompletelyredefinedandderivetheirentiremeaningfromthesystemoftheoreticalrelationsinwhichtheyareintegrated(G.Bachelard,Le
matrialismerationnel(Paris:PressesUniversitairesdeFrance,1953),pp.21617).
Note:137.Languageraisesparticularproblemsforthesocialsciences,atleastifoneacceptsthattheymustbeorientedtowardsthebroadestdiffusionofresults,whichisacondition
forthe`defetishizing'ofsocialrelationsandthe`reappropriation'ofthesocialworld.Theuseofthevocabularyofordinarylanguageobviouslyimpliesthedangerofaregressionto
theordinarysensewhichiscorrelativewiththelossofthesenseimposedthroughintegrationinthesystemofscientificrelations.Theresorttoneologismsortoabstractsymbols
shows,betterthanstraightforward`invertedcommas',thebreakwithcommonsensemeaning,butitalsorisksproducingabreakinthecommunicationofthescientificvisionofthe
socialworld.
Note:138.M.Heidegger,BeingandTime,tr.J.MacquarrieandE.Robinson(Oxford:Blackwell,1967),p.348.Heideggerwastogofurtherdownthispathas,withhisgrowing
authority,hefeltauthorizedtoengageintheperemptoryverbalismtowhichalldiscoursesofauthorityultimatelygiverise.
Note:139.Thisisoneofthespontaneousstrategiesofpolitenesswhichcanreallyneutralizetheaggressive,arrogantortroublesomecontentofanorderorquestiononlyby
integratingitinasetofsymbolicexpressions,verbalornonverbal,aimedatmaskingtherawmeaningoftheelementtakenonitsown.
Note:140.Heidegger,BeingandTime,pp.1634.
Note:141.WhenwritingthisIcouldnotrecallexactlythepassageintheessayonthe`overcomingofmetaphysics'(19391946)devotedto`literarydirigism'asanaspectofthereignof
`technology':`Theneedforhumanmaterialunderliesthesameregulationofpreparingfororderedmobilizationastheneedforentertainingbooksandpoems,forwhoseproduction
thepoetisnomoreimportantthanthebookbinder'sapprentice,whohelpsbindthepoemsfortheprinterby,forexample,bringingthecoversforbindingfromthestorageroom.'M.
Heidegger,TheEndofPhilosophy,tr.J.Stambaugh(NewYork:Harper&Row,1973),p.106.
Note:142.M.Heidegger,AnIntroductiontoMetaphysics(NewHaven:YaleUniversityPress,1987),p.38.Anothersymptomofthisaristocratismisthewayalltheadjectiveswhich
describeprephilosophicalexistencearepejorativelycoloured:`inauthentic',`vulgar',`everyday',`public',etc.
Note:143.Onewouldhavetorecordsystematicallytheentiresystemofsymbolsthroughwhichphilosophicaldiscoursedeclaresitselevatednatureasadominantdiscourse.
Note:144.Onethinks,forexample,ofthedevelopmentsregardingbiologism(cf.M.Heidegger,Nietzsche,4vols,esp.`Nietzsche'sallegedbiologism'invol.3,TheWilltoPoweras
KnowledgeandasMetaphysics,tr.D.F.Krell(NewYork:Harper&Row,1987),pp.3947.
Note:145.Heidegger,BeingandTime,pp.834(myemphasis).ThesecautionarystrategiesmighthaveawakenedthesuspicionsofnonGermanreaders,ifthelatterhadnotbeen
subjecttoconditionsofreceptionwhichmadeitveryunlikelythattheywoulddetectthehiddenconnotations,whicharedisownedinadvancebyHeidegger(allthemoresosincethe
translations`suppress'themsystematicallyinthenameofthebreakbetweentheonticalandtheontological).Indeed,inadditiontotheresistancetoanalysisofferedbyaworkwhichis
theproductofsuchsystematicstrategiesofeuphemization,thereisalsointhiscaseoneofthemostperniciouseffectsoftheexportationofculturalproducts,thedisappearanceofall
thesubtlesignsofsocialorpoliticalorigins,ofallthemarks(oftenverydiscreet)ofthesocialimportanceofdiscourseandtheintellectualpositionofitsauthor,inshort,ofallthe
infinitesimalfeaturestowhichthenativereaderisobviouslymostvulnerable,butwhichhecanapprehendbetterthanothersonceheisequippedwithtechniquesofobjectification.
Onerecalls,forexample,allthe`administrative'connotationswhichAdornodiscoveredbehind`existential'termslike`encounter'(Begegnung),orinwordslike`concern'(Anliegen),
and`commission'(Auftrag),apreeminentlyambiguousterm,both`theobjectofanadministrativedemand'anda`heartfeltwish',whichwasalreadytheobjectofadeviantusagein
Rilke'spoetry(T.W.Adorno,TheJargonofAuthenticity,tr.K.TarnowskiandF.Will(London:Routledge&KeganPaul,1973),pp.7788).
Note:146.Wecanseethatthesamelogicappliesintheusethatothervariantsofpriestlyprophesyingmakenowadaysofthe`epistemologicalbreak',akindofriteofpassage,
accomplishedonceandforall,acrosstheboundarylaiddownpermanentlybetweenscienceandideology.
Note:147.Bachelard,Lematrialismerationnel,p.59.
Note:148.M.Heidegger,`TheAnaximanderFragment',inEarlyGreekThinking,tr.D.F.KrellandF.A.Capuzzi(SanFrancisco:Harper&Row,1984),p.33.
Note:149.Foranother,particularlycaricaturalexampleoftheomnipotenceof`essentialthought',onecouldrefertothetextofthe1951lecture`Building,dwelling,thinking',wherethe
housingcrisisis`overcome'infavouroftheontologicalmeaningof`dwelling'(Heidegger,BasicWritings,p.339).
Note:150.Thistypically`philosophical'effectispredisposedtobeingreproducedindefinitely,inalltheencountersbetween`philosophers'and`laymen',andparticularlythe
specialistsinpositivedisciplineswhoareinclinedtorecognizethesocialhierarchyoflegitimacieswhichconfersonthephilosopherthepositionoflastappeal,whichisbothcrowning
and`founding'atthesametime.Thisprofessorial`coup'isobviouslybestemployedin`professional'usage:thephilosophicaltext,theproductofaprocessofesoterization,willbe
madeexotericatthecostofaprocessofcommentarywhichitsesotericnaturemakesindispensableandwhosebesteffectslieinthe(artificial)concretizationswhichlead,inaprocess
neatlyreversingthatofthe(artificial)break,tothereactivationoftheprimarysense,initiallyeuphemizedtorenderthemesoteric,butwithafullaccompanimentofcautions(`thisisonly
anexample')aimedatpreservingtheritualdistance.
Note:151.Heidegger,BeingandTime,p.158.

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Note:152.J.Lacan,crits,tr.A.Sheridan(London:Tavistock,1977),p.173.
Note:153.Heidegger,BeingandTime,p.165.SincetheHeideggerian`philosophical'styleisthesumofasmallnumberofeffectsthatarerepeatedindefinitely,itwaspreferableto
grasptheminthecontextofasinglepassagetheanalysisofassistanceinwhichtheyareallconcentratedandwhichshouldberereadinonegoinordertoseehowtheseeffects
arearticulatedinpracticeinaparticulardiscourse.
Note:154.Thustheinnumerablebinaryoppositionsimaginedbyanthropologistsandsociologiststojustifythedefactodistinctionthatexistsbetweenthesocietiesassignedto
anthropologyandthesocietiesassignedtosociology`community'/`society',`folk'/`urban',`traditional'/`modern',`warmsocieties'/`coldsocieties',etc.constituteaprimeexampleof
theseriesofparalleloppositionswhichisbydefinitioninterminable,sinceeachparticularoppositionseizesonpartofthefundamentalopposition,essentiallymultifacetedandpluri
vocal,betweenclasslesssocietiesandsocietiesdividedintoclasses,whichitexpressesinawaythatiscompatiblewiththepropertiesandconventionswhichvaryfromonefieldto
thenext,andalsofromonestatetoanotherwithinthesamefield,i.e.moreorlessadinfinitum.
Note:155.ItisobviousthatlanguageoffersotherpossibilitiesforideologicalgamesthanthoseexploitedbyHeidegger.Thusthedominantpoliticaljargonexploitsprincipallythe
potentialambiguityandmisunderstandingimpliedbythemultiplicityofclassusagesorspecializedusages(linkedtospecialistfields).
Note:156.OnecouldcountertheseanalysesbyarguingthattoacertainextenttheyonlyelucidatethosepropertiesoftheHeideggerianuseoflanguagethatHeideggerhimself
expresslyclaimsatleastinhismostrecentwritings.Infact,asweshallendeavourtoshowlater,thesebogusconfessionsareoneaspectoftheworkofSelbstinterpretationand
SelbstbehauptungtowhichthelaterHeideggerdevoteshisentirewritingeffort.
Note:157.Itisthroughstrategiesthatarenolessparadoxicaleventhoughtheytakeontheappearanceofscientificitythatthe`politicalscience'whichidentifiesscientific
objectivitywith`ethicalneutrality'(i.e.theneutralitybetweensocialclasseswhoseexistenceitdeniesanyway)contributestotheclassstrugglebyprovidingallthemechanismswhich
helpproducethefalseconsciousnessofthesocialworldwiththesupportofafalsescience.
Note:158.Ultimately,thereisnowordwhichisnotanuntranslatablehapaxlegomenon:thustheword`metaphysical',forexample,doesnothavethesamesenseforHeideggerthatit
hasforKant,norforthelaterHeideggerthesensethatithasfortheearlier.Heideggersimplypushesanessentialpropertyofthephilosophicaluseoflanguagetotheextremeonthis
point:philosophicallanguageasasumofpartiallyintersectingidiolectscanonlybeadequatelyusedbyspeakerscapableofreferringeachwordtothesystemwhereitassumesthe
meaningtheyintendittobear(`intheKantiansense').
Note:159.E.Jnger,Essaisurl'hommeetletemps,vol.1:TraitduRebelle(DerWaldgang,1951)(Monaco:Rocher,1957),pp.478.Onp.66thereisaperfectlyclearalthough
implicitreferencetoHeidegger.
Note:160.`AuthenticBeingone'sSelfdoesnotrestuponanexceptionalconditionofthesubject,aconditionthathasbeendetachedfromthe"they"itisratheranexistentiell
modificationofthe"they"ofthe"they"asanessentialexistentiale'(Heidegger,BeingandTime,p.168cf.alsop.223).
Note:161.Ibid.,pp.3418and3527.
Note:162.Ibid.,pp.3801,43940and4645.
Note:163.F.Stern,ThePoliticsofCulturalDespair(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1961).
Note:164.W.Z.Laqueur,YoungGermany:AHistoryoftheGermanYouthMovement(London:Routledge,1962),pp.17887.
Note:165.StefanGeorge'sstylewasimitatedbyanentiregeneration,particularlythroughtheinfluenceofthe`youthmovement'(Jugendbewegung),seducedbyhisaristocratic
idealismandhiscontemptfor`aridrationalism':`Hisstylewasimitatedandafewquotationswererepeatedoftenenoughphrasesabouthewhooncehadcircledtheflameandwho
foreverwillfollowtheflameabouttheneedforanewmobilitywhosewarrantnolongerderivesfromcrownandescutcheonabouttheFhrerwithhisvlkischbannerwhowillleadhis
followerstothefutureReichthroughstormandgrislyportents,andsoforth'(Laqueur,ThePoliticsofCulturalDespair,p.135).
Note:166.Heideggerexplicitlyevokestraditionmoreprecisely,Plato'sdistortionofthewordeidosinordertojustifyhis`technical'useofthewordGestell.`Accordingtoordinary
usage,thewordGestell[frame]meanssomekindofapparatus,e.g.abookrack.Gestellisalsothenameforaskeleton.AndtheemploymentofthewordGestell[enframing]thatisnow
requiredofusseemsequallyeerie,nottospeakofthearbitrarinesswithwhichwordsofamaturelanguagearesomisused.Cananythingbemorestrange?Surelynot.Yetthis
strangenessisanoldcustomofthought'(Heidegger,TheQuestionConcerningTechnology,p.301).Againstthesameaccusationofimposing`randomlyarbitrary'meaning,
Heideggerreplies,in`Alettertoayoungstudent',withanexhortation`tolearnthecraftofthinking'(M.Heidegger,`Thethings',inPoetry,Language,Thought(NewYork:Harper
Colophon,1975),p.186).
Note:167.E.Spranger,`MeinKonfliktmitdernationalsozialistischenRegierung1933',UniversitasZeitschriftfrWissenschaft,KunstundLiteratur,10(1955),pp.45773,citedbyF.
Ringer,TheDeclineoftheGermanMandarins:TheGermanAcademicCommunity,18901933(Cambridge,Mass.:HarvardUniversityPress,1969),p.439.
Note:168.J.Habermas,`PenseravecHeideggercontreHeidegger',Profitsphilosophiquesetpolitiques(Paris:Gallimard,1974),p.90(myemphasis).Cf.therevisedversionofthis
essayinEnglish,`MartinHeidegger:thegreatinfluence',inHabermas'sPhilosophicalPoliticalProfiles,tr.F.F.Lawrence(London:Heinemann,1983),pp.5360.
Note:169.Ibid.,p.100.
Note:170.Heidegger,`Building,dwelling,thinking',p.339.
Note:171.M.Halbwachs,Classessocialesetmorphologie(Paris:Minuit,1972),p.178.Itgoeswithoutsayingthatsuchaphraseisexcludedinadvancefromanyselfrespecting
philosophicaldiscourse:thesenseofthedistinctionbetweenthe`theoretical'andthe`empirical'isinfactafundamentaldimensionofthephilosophicalsenseofdistinction.
Note:172.Itwouldbenecessaryinordertobringoutthisimplicitphilosophyofphilosophicalreadingandthephilosophyofthehistoryofphilosophywhichgoeswithittonote
systematicallyallthetexts(commonlyfoundinHeideggerandhiscommentators)whichexpresstheexpectationofapureandpurelyformaltreatment,whichdemandinternalreading,
circumscribedbythetextitselfor,inotherwords,whichexpresstheirreducibilityofthe`selfengendered'worktoanyhistoricaldeterminationapart,obviously,fromtheinternal
determinationsoftheautonomoushistoryofphilosophyor,atthemost,ofthemathematicalorphysicalsciences.
Note:173.Itisnotthesociologistwhoimportsthelanguageoforthodoxy:`Theaddresseeofthe"LetteronHumanism"combinesaprofoundinsightintoHeideggerwithan
extraordinarygiftoflanguage,bothtogethermakinghimbeyondanyquestiononeofthemostauthoritativeinterpretersofHeideggerinFrance'(W.J.Richardson,S.J.,Heidegger:
ThroughPhenomenologytoThought(TheHague:Nijhoff,1963),p.684,regardinganarticlebyJ.Beaufret)or:`Thissympatheticstudy[byAlbertDondeyne]orchestratesthetheme
thattheontologicaldifferenceisthesinglepointofreferenceinHeidegger'sentireeffort.NoteveryHeideggerianofstrictobservancewillbehappy,perhaps,withtheauthor'sformulae
concerningHeidegger'srelationto"lagrandetraditiondelaphilosophiaperennis"'(ibid.).
Note:174.M.Heidegger,AnIntroductiontoMetaphysics,tr.R.Mannheim(NewHaven:YaleUniversityPress,1973),p.8.
Note:175.M.Heidegger,Nietzsche,vol.2,TheEternalRecurrenceoftheSame,tr.D.F.Krell(SanFrancisco,Ca.:Harper&Row,1984),p.17.Thework,Heideggersayssomewhere,
`escapesbiography'whichcanonly`giveanametosomethingthatbelongstonobody'.
Note:176.Itisremarkable,knowinghowtenaciouslyherejectedandrefutedallexternalorreductivereadingsofhiswork(seehisletterstoJeanWahl,JeanBeaufret,toastudent,to
Richardson,discussionwithaJapanesephilosopher,etc.),thatHeideggerhadnohesitationinusingagainsthisrivals(Sartre,inthecaseinpoint)theargumentsofa`clumsy
sociologism'.Thus,ifnecessary,hewaspreparedtoreinvestthetopicof`thedictatorshipofthepublicrealm'withthestrictlysocial(ifnotsociological)sensewhichitundoubtedlyhad
inBeingandTime,andwhatismore,todosoinapassagewhereheisattemptingpreciselytoestablishthatthe`existential'analysisofthe`they'`innowaymeanstofurnishan
incidentalcontributiontosociology'(`Letteronhumanism',inBasicWritings,p.197).ThisrecyclingofHeideggerIbyHeideggerIIbearswitnesstothefact(underlinedbytheemphasis
on`incidental'inthesentencequoted)that,ifeverythingisredenied,nothingisrenounced.
Note:177.J.Beaufret,Introductionsauxphilosophiesdel'existence.DeKierkegaardHeidegger(Paris:DenelGonthier,1971),pp.11112.
Note:178.O.Pggeler,LaPensedeM.Heidegger(Paris:AubierMontaigne,1963),p.18.
Note:179.FromthispointofviewonemightconnectacertaininterviewwithMarcelDuchamp(inVH101,no.3,Autumn1970,pp.5561)withthe`Letteronhumanism',withits
innumerablerefutationsorwarnings,itscalculatedinterferencewithinterpretation,etc.
Note:180.Onemightobjectthatthis`claim'isitselfdeniedinthe`Letteronhumanism'(pp.21517),butthisdoesnotpreventitfrombeingreaffirmedalittlelater(pp.2356).

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Note:181.Richardson,Heidegger',p.224n.29(myemphasis)seealsoibid.,p.410onthedistinctionbetween`poesy'and`poetry'.
Note:182.H.Marcuse,`BeitrgezurPhnomenologiedeshistorischenMaterialismus',inPhilosophischeHefte,1(1928),pp.4568.
Note:183.C.Hobert,DasDaseininMenschen(Zeulenroda:Sporn,1937).
Note:184.Itisthesamelogicwhichhasled,morerecently,toapparentlybettergrounded`combinations'ofMarxismandstructuralismorFreudianism,whileFreud(interpretedby
Lacan)providednewsupportforconceptualpunslikeHeidegger's.
Note:185.Cf.Heideggerinhis`Letteronhumanism'(p.212)fortherefutationofan`existentialist'readingofBeingandTime:therefutationoftheinterpretationoftheconceptsof
BeingandTimeasa`secular'versionofreligiousconceptstherefutationofan`anthropological'or`moral'readingoftheoppositionbetweentheauthenticandtheinauthentic(pp.
21721)andtherathermorelabouredrefutationof`nationalism'intheanalysesofthe`homeland'(Heimat),etc.
Note:186.Heidegger,`Letteronhumanism'.
Note:187.K.Axelos,Argumentsd'unerecherche(Paris:Minuit,1939),pp.93ffseealsoK.Axelos,EinfhrungineinknftigesDenkenberMarxundHeidegger(Tbingen:Max
NiemeyerVerlag,1966).
Note:188.Whatweseeatworkherethatis,initspracticaltruthistheschemeofthe`ontologicaldifference'betweenBeingandbeings:canitbeacoincidencethatitarises
naturallywhenthereisaneedtoemphasizedistancesandreestablishhierarchies,betweenphilosophyandthesocialsciencesinparticular?
Note:189.ItisthisblindunderstandingwhichisdesignatedbytheapparentlycontradictorydeclarationbyKarlFriedrichvonWeizsacker(quotedbyHabermas,`Penseravec
HeideggercontreHeidegger',p.106):`IbegantoreadBeingandTime,whichhadjustbeenpublished,whenIwasstillastudent.TodayIcanstatewithagoodconsciencethatatthe
timeIunderstoodnothingofit,strictlyspeaking.ButIcouldnothelpfeelingthatitwasthere,andtherealone,thatthoughtcouldengagewiththeproblemsthatIfeltmustliebehind
moderntheoreticalphysics,andtodayIwouldstillgrantitthat.'
Note:190.ThesameSartrewhowouldhavesmiledorbeenindignantatHeidegger'selitistprofessionsoffaithiftheyhadcomebeforehimintheguiseofwhatSimonedeBeauvoir
called`rightwingthought'(forgetting,curiously,toincludeHeidegger),wouldnothavebeenabletohavetheinsightthathehadintotheexpressionwhichHeidegger'sworksgaveto
hisownexperienceofthesocialworld,expressedatlengthinthepagesofLaNause,ifithadnotappearedtohimdressedinformsfittingtheproprietiesandconventionsofthe
philosophicalfield.

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