Dialogue, Dasein, and Destiny: Heidegger’s Challenge to Dialogical Comparative Political Theory

What is it about?

This article explores the influence of Martin Heidegger on the “dialogical” school of Comparative Political Theory in light of his support of National Socialism. It argues that much of his influence on the sub-field is based on a misinterpretation of his political thought. Whereas influential authors like Fred Dallmayr interpret his writings on inter-cultural dialogue as offering a glimpse into the possibility of an “other” Heidegger, friendly to democratic cosmopolitan pluralism, I argue that they are at the core of his idiosyncratic vision of the so-called “inner truth and greatness” of National Socialism. I use these writings to construct a Heideggerian rather than Heidegger-inspired dialogical CPT, demonstrating the gulf between the two projects, and appealing to CPT scholars to confront the challenge presented by the former.

Featured Image