Heidegger and the signs of history

Abstract

AbstractHeidegger’s conception of the sign formulated in Sein und Zeit (1996 [1927]) may shed some light on his disastrous, philosophical and political experience with Nazism. In order to show this, I propose to assess how Heidegger establishes the relationship between signs and history in his magnum opus. Then, relying on the fact – central to Heidegger’s thinking, and to sign studies in general – that ideas are linked to the world, I will proceed to examine how Heidegger’s philosophical meditations stand up to his real-life engagements. My final remarks, more interrogative than declarative, will raise the question as to how Heidegger was lured into believing that Nazism represented a moment of truth.