Hitler's Philosophers

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Yale University Press, 2013 M05 21 - 302 pages

Hitler had a dream to rule the world, not only with the gun but also with his mind. He saw himself as a "philosopher-leader" and astonishingly gained the support of many intellectuals of his time. In this compelling book, Yvonne Sherratt explores Hitler's relationship with philosophers and uncovers cruelty, ambition, violence, and betrayal where least expected—at the heart of Germany's ivory tower.

Sherratt investigates international archives, discovering evidence back to the 1920s of Hitler's vulgarization of noble thinkers of the past, including Kant, Nietzsche, and Darwin. She reveals how philosophers of the 1930s eagerly collaborated to lend the Nazi regime a cloak of respectability: Martin Heidegger, Carl Schmitt, and a host of others. And while these eminent men sanctioned slaughter, Semitic thinkers like Walter Benjamin and opponents like Kurt Huber were hunted down or murdered. Many others, such as Theodor Adorno and Hannah Arendt, were forced to flee as refugees. The book portrays their fates, to be dispersed across the world as the historic edifice of Jewish-German culture was destroyed by Hitler.

Sherratt not only confronts the past; she also tracks down chilling evidence of continuing Nazi sympathy in Western Universities today.

 

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Yvonne Sherratt
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Yvonne Sherratt
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Common terms and phrases

academic Adolf Hitler Adorno America anti-Semitism appeared Arendt Baumler became become began Benjamin Berlin born called camp century claimed close continued course culture dark death developed early Europe expressed eyes fact father finally forced former Frankfurt German hands Hannah Heidegger Heidegger’s Hitler Huber human Ibid ideas influence Institute intellectual interned Italy Jewish Jews Kant Krieck Landsberg later lectures letter lived looked Mein Kampf mind mother moved Munich nature Nazi never Nietzsche Nietzsche’s noted once Party past philosopher political prison professor published race regarded Reich remained Rosenberg Schmitt seemed social soon speech streets things thinkers Third thought throughout turned University views wife writing wrote young

About the author (2013)

Yvonne Sherratt was educated at Cambridge University, was a fellow of Corpus Christi College and most recently taught at New College, Oxford. She is author of Adorno's Positive Dialectic and Continental Philosophy of Social and Political Science.

Bibliographic information

TitleHitler's Philosophers
AuthorYvonne Sherratt
Editionunabridged
PublisherYale University Press, 2013
ISBN0300151934, 9780300151930
Length302 pages
  
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