28 November 2014 - A New Book Issued by the Gaidar Institute Publishing House Is to Be Presented at the 16th International Fair of Intellectual Literature (Non/fiction)

The presentation of the book Letters : 1925-1975. Martin Heidegger and Hannah Arendt, published by the Gaidar Institute, will be held at 1.pm on 28 November at the Central House of Artists in Krymskiy val (Seminar Zone No 2, Room 17) as part of the discussion 'Martin Heidegger's Black Notebooks. Philosophy's Dark Side', held in the framework of the 16th International Fair of Intellectual Literature Non/fiction.


The publication of 'Martin Heidegger's latest diaries of 1931–1941 in volumes 94–96 of the collection of his works has reignited the issues raised in connection with the great philosopher's notorious rectorship at Freiburg University: can Heidegger's association with German National Socialism, his hatred of liberalism and democracy, and his (to put it mildly) indifference to mass killings of people be explained by his 'failure to think', by his psychological individuality, by his generation's aberrations, or by the right-wing conservative romanticism of the intellectuals belonging to his circle? Or, must his personal choice be treated seriously - as a positive or negative outcome of the evolution of Carthusian ratio and European metaphysics as a whole? Is it indeed a philosopher's business to care about his polity, or perhaps he must detach himself from it? And must we, whilst thinking of these issues, also detach ourselves from the present situation in our own polity?


Philosophers Alexey Glukhov, Mikhail Mayatsky, Nikolai Plotnikov will participate in the discussion.


This is a free event, but in order to visit the Fair, it is necessary to buy an entrance ticket.