Letter on humanism

pp. 530-552

in: William Richardson, Heidegger, The Hague, Nijhoff, 1963

Abstract

Heidegger's reply in letter form to the question posed by Jean Beaufret (Paris), how it would be at all possible, given these new perspectives, to restore a meaning to the word "humanism," represents, despite the occasional nature of its motivation and the informality of its tone, a culminating moment in his development. Without any doubt, the "Letter on Humanism" is the most important of his writings since EM, not so much for what it offers that is new but for a crystallization of the entire development we have seen him undergo.¹ The letter in its published form dates from 1947. Since 1945, Heidegger had been living in enforced retirement, and Beaufret's query gave him the opportunity (probably a welcome one) to expose in fuller scope the mise au point suggested in WM: Ep, bringing into clearer focus the relation between Heidegger I and Heidegger II. It is especially valuable, therefore, for the author's self-interpretation, although this aspect of the letter is less important for us who, thanks to subsequent publication of several works from the 1929–1947 period, are more familiar with the course of his development than his readers could be at that time.