Ohne Heidegger gegen Heidegger

Abstract This commentary on Christian Damböck’s article “Carnap and Heidegger” (DZPhil 2024; 72(5): 656–671) examines the validity of claims regarding the alleged antiscientific and antirational nature of Heidegger’s philosophy. By contrasting the predominantly negative reception of Heidegger’s Black Notebooks in Germany with their more varied international reception, this commentary argues that the Notebooks reveal the distinctive rationality of Heidegger’s thought, challenging entrenched biases about its supposed irrationality. It cautions against one-sided interpretations that perpetuate unsubstantiated assumptions about Heidegger’s philosophy, while recognising the value of Damböck’s and Carnap’s critical perspectives, provided they engage rigorously with his texts.