General Discussion

muriel_volestrangler

(104,770 posts)

30. I'd dispute that she 'enabled' him

Thu Sep 11, 2025, 06:13 AM

Sep 11

I presume this is Heidegger. She had an affair with him in the mid 20s, before he showed any Nazi signs. In the 30s, he joined the party; not in charge of any crimes, but doing nothing to denounce or prevent them either - what his feelings about Jews really were, who knows, but she was Jewish herself, of course.

After the war, they reconnected (resumed a physical relationship? I don't know), and she defended him. But I don't think that's "enabling" him - because he didn't do Nazi things after that.

Given her work helping Jews to emigrate to Palestine, and her arrest by the Gestapo, I don't think it's fair to dismiss her as a "fascist enabler", or to implicitly dismiss her ideas.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

39 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

"The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism." [View all] mahatmakanejeeves Sep 10 OP

Nope, can't do it. FirstLight Sep 10 #1

Arendt is right. You're right. Decent human beings feel empathy for others, no matter who they are. sop Sep 10 #2

..live by hatred, die by hatred.. thomski64 Sep 10 #6

Nothing until we know more. marble falls Sep 10 #3

Nope. I have no empathy for hate mongers and people who celebrate gun deaths Autumn Sep 10 #4

Sorry, but Kirk was anti-empathy, so, I'm honoring his wishes in that regard. Coventina Sep 10 #5

It is very empathetic of you to reflect his values back at him. RockRaven Sep 10 #11

Hannah Arendt had a romance with a literal Nazi SamuelTheThird Sep 10 #7

Yikes didn't realize that fujiyamasan Sep 11 #24

I'd dispute that she 'enabled' him muriel_volestrangler Sep 11 #30

Agreed Prairie Gates Sep 11 #33

Arendt DEFENDED Heidegger post-war SamuelTheThird Sep 11 #37

I wasn't calling her an enabler, but Kirk SamuelTheThird Sep 11 #36

"I can't stand the word empathy. Actually I think empathy is a made up New Age term that does a lot of damage." muriel_volestrangler Sep 10 #8

Yeah, well, Americans are not decent human beings. At least not a majority. RockRaven Sep 10 #9

Disagree. I think there Still more Empathetic Americans than not... electric_blue68 Sep 10 #13

Interesting that Mike Lee of Utah was the biggest asshole commenting on Hortman's killing Ponietz Sep 10 #10

Hannah would hate Mark Twain Torchlight Sep 10 #12

I have empathy for his family and the students mcar Sep 10 #14

This message was self-deleted by its author WarGamer Sep 10 #15

Did you weep for Pol Pot? dpibel Sep 10 #16

+1 BannonsLiver Sep 10 #21

Maybe conditional empathy ain't so bad, after all dpibel Sep 11 #23

Been a tough day for you? W_HAMILTON Sep 10 #20

Are we going to have this same discussion when Putin dies? Cuthbert Allgood Sep 10 #17

I don't have moral relativism about evil JCMach1 Sep 10 #18

This message was self-deleted by its author Random Person Sep 10 #19

Judging by the comments I have seen today, it seems to be dying on DU. milestogo Sep 10 #22

Sorry I'll sit this one out fujiyamasan Sep 11 #25

That might be true but how did we get here? ecstatic Sep 11 #26

Perhaps I'm missing something Keepthesoulalive Sep 11 #27

that train has already left the station. nt ImNotGod Sep 11 #28

Well said ihavenoidea Sep 11 #29

With all due respect to Hannah Arendt (and my respect for her is substantial) . . . . hatrack Sep 11 #31

I don't think Arendt had any illusions about that Prairie Gates Sep 11 #34

I wouldn't put it in hens' teeth territory, but judging by the last 20 years, it seems to be lacking in Americans . . . hatrack Sep 11 #39

Hate speech deserves no empathy. Emile Sep 11 #32

To me this is just the natural result of GREED and a few evil apples at the top doing ANYTHING/EVERYTHING to not SHARE? Brainfodder Sep 11 #35

No empathy here. fshrink Sep 11 #38