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1, No. 2 - December 14, 2001 Philosopher Receives NEH, Humboldt Fellowships Associate Professor of Philosophy Francisco Gonzalez has received both a Humboldt Research Fellowship and a National Endowment for the Humanities Research Fellowship to support sabbatical research on a book during 2002-03. Gonzalez will write a book critically assessing the influential critique of Plato by the 20th-century German philosopher Martin Heidegger, with the aim of finding, in this confrontation between the beginning of the philosophical tradition and its self-proclaimed "end," an opportunity for reassessing the philosophical enterprise. In Gonzalez's view, such a project is important for a number of reasons. He explains, "In this critique Heidegger, who is without question one of the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th century, challenges the entire philosophical tradition that was largely shaped by Plato. Second, this critique has been accepted by and has influenced many of those critics of the tradition who call themselves 'postmodernists'." Gonzalez plans to show that there are profound affinities between Plato and Heidegger that Heidegger failed to see (and which undermine some aspects of Heidegger's critique of the philosophical tradition) and that there are equally profound differences that Heidegger failed to justify and that result in his rather disastrous severing of philosophy from ethics and social discourse. He added, "What is ultimately at stake in the confrontation between Plato and Heidegger -- as a confrontation between the beginning and the self-proclaimed 'end' of the philosophical tradition -- is the very nature of the philosophical enterprise. A book on this topic has not been possible until now since the most relevant Heideggerian texts, consisting largely of courses Heidegger delivered during the 1920s, have been published only recently. A few have yet to be published, but for these, student transcripts are available in archives." Both fellowships will provide support for Gonzalez’s sabbatical leave. The Humboldt will enable him to spend six months at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and cover travel expenses. In addition, the Humboldt Fellowship also will open opportunities for future cooperation with German scholars by making Gonzalez eligible for other research grants, for travel support to conferences in Germany, and for funds to invite German scholars to come to Skidmore. Skidmore Intercom Skidmore College 815 North Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 518.580.5000 intercom@skidmore.edu |