New Heidegger Research

Correspondence 1949-1975: Martin Heidegger and Ernst J¼nger (2016) presents an intimate portrait of two influential German philosophers. The letters provide significant insight into Heidegger and J¼ngerâs philosophical minds, as well as the eras from post-WWII to the Cold War. The letters are an important collection, and while the correspondence can be found elsewhere, this version benefits from a fluid and intelligible translation. In addition, translator Timothy Sean Quinn, Philosophy Department Chair at Xavier University, has included J¼ngerâs essay âber de Linieâ or âAcross the Lineâ at the end of the correspondence. This inclusion fits well, as mention of the essay appears in the early letters, written as a gift for Heidegger on his 60th birthday. âAcross the Lineâ functions as bookends to the letters and provides the reader with a perspective of time, place, and philosophical theory that, perhaps, the letters alone could not perform.... Quinnâs publication comes at an interesting time in the world, a time that reflects the era in which J¼nger and Heidegger were composing. Quinnâs translation reads smoothly, is intellectually stimulating, and poetically intriguing. Without a doubt this collection is a valuable addition to the canon of research for both Heidegger and J¼nger.
â" Phenomenological Reviews

While each is a neglected figure in American academia, the correspondence of these two impressive thinkers makes for an impressive addition to understanding their oeuvres. There is a tendency to think of philosophers and writers as devoid of personal lives, and hopefully this volume
will contribute to rectifying that error.
â" Mountain Statesman

With this elegant translation, Timothy Sean Quinn allows us to eavesdrop on a fascinating conversation: two prolific authors, moved by Nietzsche to confront nihilism, discuss their writings and share lifeâs moments - Heidegger consoles J¼nger for the loss of his spouse, and the final letter, sent by Heideggerâs wife, is a collection of poems that had comforted him on his deathbed. The humanity of the thinker strikingly emerges in these beautifully rendered exchanges.
â" Chad Engelland, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Dallas