Letter on Humanism

Martin Heidegger's Letter on Humanism (1947) critiques the concept of humanism, particularly as presented by Jean-Paul Sartre. Heidegger argued that traditional humanism offers a flawed understanding of human beings, reducing them to a special kind of entity rather than grasping their true nature. He rejected the idea that his own existential phenomenology was humanistic, emphasizing his focus on ontology and the question of Being over anthropological concerns.12

Heidegger proposed a redefinition of the human subject as Dasein, or "being-there," emphasizing "being-in-the-world" rather than a detached thinking subject. While Dasein involves disclosing the world, Heidegger later shifted towards viewing access to Being as a gift, moving away from a purely human-centered perspective. His critique of humanism, therefore, aimed to correct a deficient understanding of human existence and its relationship to Being.31