Correspondence 1949-1975 (New Heidegger Research);

Beginning in 1949, the German novelist and essayist Ernst Jnger began a correspondence with the philosopher Martin Heidegger that lasted until Heidegger€s death in 1975. This volume contains the first English translation of their complete correspondence, as well as letters from Heidegger€s wife and son and others referred to in their correspondence. It also contains a translation of Jnger€s essay Across the Line (œber die Linie), his contribution to a Festschrift celebrating Heidegger€s sixtieth birthday.

Jnger€s and Heidegger€s correspondence is of enormous historical interest, revealing how both men came to understand their cultural roles in post-war Europe. It is valuable as well for showing the emergence of themes pervasive in Heidegger€s post-war thought: his cultural and political pessimism and his concern with the problem of global technology. The correspondence also reveals the evolution of a philosophical friendship between two writers central to twentieth century European thought, and the mutual influence that friendship worked on their writing.