What's in a world? Du Bois and Heidegger on politics, aesthetics, and foundings

Mittiga, Ross

Abstract

Central to W.E.B. Du Bois’s political theory is a conception of “world” remarkably similar to that put forward, years later, by Martin Heidegger. This point is more methodological than historical: I claim that approaching Du Bois’s work as a source, rather than as a product, of concepts that resonated with subsequent thinkers allows us to better appreciate the novelty and vision of his political theory. Exploring this resonance, I argue, helps to refine the notions of world and founding present in each theorist’s work. Yet, it is only by remaining attentive to their differences that we can understand how Du Bois and Heidegger could endorse such dramatically opposed political programs despite similar theoretical starting points.

Citation

Mittiga, R. (2019). What's in a world? Du Bois and Heidegger on politics, aesthetics, and foundings. Contemporary Political Theory, 18, 180-201. https://doi.org/10.1057/S41296-018-0281-9

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 25, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Nov 22, 2018
• Publication Date: Jun 10, 2019
• Deposit Date: Dec 19, 2024
• Journal: Contemporary Political Theory
• Print ISSN: 1470-8914
• Electronic ISSN: 1476-9336
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Pages: 180-201
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/S41296-018-0281-9
• Keywords: WEB Du Bois, Martin Heidegger, world, founding, politics, aesthetics
• Publisher URL: https://philarchive.org/rec/MITWIA-2