Sojourns: The Journey to Greece

by Martin Heidegger, John Panteleimon Manoussakis (Translator), John Sallis (Foreword by)

Heidegger's philosophical journal, written during his first visit to Greece in 1962, and appearing here in English for the first time.

The story of Martin Heidegger's enigmatic search for truth in the land that inspired his philosophy, Aufenthalte (Sojourns) is the philosophical journal that he kept during his first visit to Greece in the spring of 1962. Available here for the first time in English, this invaluable translation offers not only a rare and intimate view of its author, but also a chance to observe Heidegger working with his philosophical concepts outside the lecture hall, applying them in concrete cultural and historical contexts. Here we find Heidegger in dialogue with Greek history itself as it has left traces in the land, and as it has been recorded on various monuments and works of art.

“Available for the first time in English … this confrontation between Heidegger’s philosophy, the technology of travel and the weight of ancient history is both fascinating and amusing.” — Times Literary Supplement

"[Heidegger] was well past seventy when he went [to Greece] for the first time. For years he had hesitated about making such a trip, and just two years earlier he had cancelled his plan to travel to Greece with his friend Eckhart Kästner. Later he made two further trips to Greece, as well as three trips at least to Provence. But it was the initial trip to Greece, in 1962, that was decisive and that yielded this beautiful, if enigmatic, travelbook Sojourns." — from the Foreword by John Sallis

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Travel

90 pages, paper

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) was a German philosopher whose work is perhaps most readily associated with phenomenology and existentialism, although his thinking should be identified as part of such philosophical movements only with extreme care and qualification. His ideas have exerted a seminal influence on the development of contemporary European philosophy. They have also had an impact far beyond philosophy, for example in architectural theory (see e.g., Sharr 2007), literary criticism (see e.g., Ziarek 1989), theology (see e.g., Caputo 1993), psychotherapy (see e.g., Binswanger 1943/1964, Guignon 1993) and cognitive science (see e.g., Dreyfus 1992, 2008; Wheeler 2005; Kiverstein and Wheeler forthcoming).

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The old, reluctant, and travel-adverse Heidegger visits Greece at last. The visit is quite risky for him given the following question: was Aletheia something that belonged to the Antique Greece and maybe is still visible in the ruins and current place; or is Aletheia just some fantasy in the mind of a German philosopher surrounded and overwhelmed by Ancient Greek books, while meditating alone in his Black Forest hut?

As he sails from island to island, Heidegger is more and more discouraged and disappointed – to the extent that he did not even bother to disembark from his cruising ship and to visit some of them. But then Heidegger is faced with the small island Delos: “The meditations that for a long time occupied me with regards to Aletheia, and the relationship between unconcealment and concealment have found, thanks to the sojourn in Delos, the desired confirmation. What appeared to have been only an imaginary conceptualization was fulfilled, it became full of presence, the presence of that clear that had once granted to the Greeks this coming-to-presence. Only through the experience of Delos did the journey to Greece become a sojourn, cleared dwelling by that which Aletheia is.”

After Delos, all other places are supporting Heidegger and his sojourn – Athens, Parthenon, Acropolis, Temple of Poseidon, Temple of Aphaia, Delphi, Temple of Apollo, and so on. They do so much so that Heidegger will later return to visit Greece again.

Heidegger does something unexpected and without precedent here (well, I still hope to find a single joke in one of his books - so it is not that); he goes for a swim. Of course - only after he found Aletheia.

[una filósofa viciosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Si bien es un texto mucho más ligero que otros como Carta sobre el humanismo o Mística medieval, no me ha gustado tanto como estos. Expresa de manera general su viaje a Grecia (lo que permite ver a un Heidegger más amigable) y unas cuantas de sus ideas principales, como la cuestión de la verdad (aletheía). Además de hacer una crítica muy fuerte al mundo moderno lleno de "técnica" en donde el hombre ha sido sometida a ella. Sin embargo, no permite (desde mi punto de vista) entender bien a lo que se refiere, lo explica todo de manera muy breve, así que yo aconsejaría leerse antes otros textos para poder disfrutar y entender mejor lo que aquí se presenta. Por otro lado, he de rescatar que ha sido una lectura amena.

[Fardokht Sn]

همه ی دانسته ها و منظورات به مانند ضمائمی از موارد دیر رسیده در پوچی و خلا سقوط میکردند ....

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just read this little book after spying it while randomly browsing the shelves at Van Pelt Library, where I'm reminded every week about how important it is to have access to a good library. Believe it or not, this is the first book by Heidegger I've ever read. A bizarre starting place for sure...

This is a brief account of Heidegger's trip to Greece in 1962. Greek philosophy and poetry are Heidegger's overwhelming concerns, so his first journey to the place that gave birth to the ideas that shaped his life is quite pregnant. It's a fearful and anxious journey because Heidegger confesses his might find that the journey to Greece - "its earth, its sky, its sea, its islands, the abandoned temples and sacred theaters" - might reveal that he's been mistaken about everything. A sobering thought for a philosopher nearing the end of his life...

Heidegger begins with a fragment from Hölderlin's beautiful poem "Bread and Wine":

But the thrones, where are they? Where are the temples, the vessels,
Where, to delight the gods, brim-full with nectar, the songs?
Where, then, where do they shine, the oracles winged for far targets?
Delphi's asleep, and where now is great fate to be heard?

Hölderlin, the great translator of Pindar, never saw Greece, which is bizarre. One gets the impression that Heidegger seeks to vindicate both himself and Hölderlin on this trip, and he does...

The book is also a meditation on the possibility of a sojourn in a world dominated by technology. Remember, this is 1962. One can only imagine the conclusion such a meditation would come to today.

(But if you ask me, a sojourn is still possible. The simple act of not owning a cell-phone opens a surprising amount of space, in every sense of the word. I don't know another person who doesn't have a cell-phone - even among the elderly! - but I really recommend it.)

[Molsa Roja(s) · Rating 5 out of 5]

El meu desconcertant Heidegger, tant aprop el sento en alguns moments que em pregunto com hem arribat a les mateixes conclusions des de llocs tant diferents. De Heidegger m’agrada la seva posició honestament antimoderna, la seva nostàlgia d’un passat edènic que no s’atraveix a formular explícitament però del qual la seva idea dels grecs forma part. La seva metafísica, a llargues estones incomprensible, de cop i volta obre una escletxa de veritat en la lectora, una visió sobtada sobre la realitat que, desgraciadament, s’esvaeix massa aviat… Feliç amb el seu relat filosòfic de l’estada a la seva particular terra promesa, Grècia. El respecte que es té per a Heidegger em demostra, finalment, que un cert grau de mística no sols és tolerat sinó tímidament celebrat.

“ ¿Quién nos muestra el camino? ¿Qué nos hace la seña en el ámbito buscado? Está detrás de nosotros, no delante de nosotros. Se necesita una mirada retrospectiva respecto a aquello de lo que conservamos una memoria antiquísima, pero que permanece desfigurado por cuanto creemos saber y poseer. Sólo podemos buscar, de todos modos, lo que, aunque veladamente, ya conocemos.”

“Sólo tres columnas elevadas, abandonadas a su soledad, hablan todavía del templo de Zeus de otros tiempos: en la amplitud del paisaje, como tres cuerdas de una lira invisible, en la que quizá los vientos, de modo inaudible para los humanos, toquen cantos fúnebres, ecos de la huida de los dioses. “ (veieu a Eliot aquí?)

[Isaac Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. It's hard to decide on this book.

A sojourn is defined as an impermanent stay reached by journey or a period of temporary residence. I think Heidegger has encapsulated that idea perfectly on his first journey to Greece. We're offered as readers to look into Greece (having never been there personally myself) through beautiful descriptors and elaborate landscapes that he crafts. His descriptors are second to none. I think in that sense Heidegger's captured it very well.

At the same time he describes his apprehension at coming to Greece should it not stand his expectations of it from reading the classical literature of his youth. In that sense, it has opened up my eyes to considering a 'vacation place' as more than someone to relax and recuperate but also rich with history. I think that is the main lesson I would take away from this book.

I'm giving it 3 stars because it was at times it felt more like a diary than a journey, which I guess in some sense the book is - Heidegger's personal recount, but I felt like more could've been done with it. Interesting read though.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heidegger va in Grecia e si lamenta dei turisti, della scienza e della tecnica, e del fatto che la Grecia antica che si immaginava dalle poesie dei classici tradotti da Hölderlin sia diversa da quella del 1962.
Oltre a questo buoni spunti, accenni a quanto scritto in precedenti lavori.

[Melchizedek Pan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of ancient connection seen between Egyptian and Greek cultures.

[Ignacio Rojas · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sólo podemos buscar, de todos modos, lo que, aunque veladamente, ya conocemos"

[Domenico Francesco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Affascinante diario filosofico di viaggio scritto da Heidegger nel corso di alcuni suoi giorni attraverso la Grecia scritto e appositamente dedicato a sua moglie (riportata nella dedica come "La Grande Madre"). Oltre ai suoi pensieri è interessante vedere come la maggior parte del diario si soffermi sulla delusione di vedere la Grecia come oramai solo un'altra meta del turismo di massa che impedisce di godersi la reale bellezza e la quiete di certi posti ma anche di come, anche quando il nostro filosofo riesce a trovare dei momenti piacevoli e scorgere un lampo di bellezza e un momento di serenità coi luoghi si senta amareggiato e disilluso che la Grecia non sia più (o forse non sia mai stata) quella Grecia che lui si immaginava essere stata la patria di una civiltà culturale così grande. Un giudizio interessante, più che per il pensiero in sé, che sia stata una mente come quella di Heidegger a partorire una conclusione così - passatemi il termine - ingenua, dato che la visione iper-romanticizzata della Grecia (e non solo della Grecia antica) che porta avanti Heidegger è una visione appunto letteraria, idealizzata e artefatta, perlopiù derivata dalle liriche di Holderlin che lui cita spesso come elemento di paragone per ciò che si aspettava e non è riuscito a trovare, che a sua volta era un'altra visione artefatta e idealizzata come poteva esserla quella di un autore tedesco del XVIII secolo.

[CR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty.