Jack Handey vs Martin Heidegger

In my ongoing fatuous quest to determine the greatest philosopher of the 20th century, today I'll compare a quote from Jack Handey and Martin Heidegger.

What is a world picture? Obviously, a picture of the world. But what does "world" mean here? What does "picture" mean? "World" serves here as a name for what is, in its entirety. The name is not limited to the cosmos, to nature. History also belongs to the world. Yet even nature and history, and both interpenetrating in their underlying and transcending of one another, do not exhaust the world. In this designation the ground of the world is meant also, no matter how its relation to the world is thought.

Heidegger - The Age of the World Picture

[a couple more pages defining 'picture' follow]

Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself. Basically, it's made up of two separate words — "mank" and "ind." What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.

Handey - Deeper Thoughts: All New, All Crispy (1993)

Who is the greater philosopher? Mankind may never know.

More quotes-- Handey and Heidegger on tradition

Update 8/4: Charlie Huenemann has a follow up to this post.
It looks like Handey is still out in front.

Handey and Heidegger on tradition

A Heidegger quote I actually like this time--

The flight into tradition, out of a combination of humility and presumption, can bring about nothing in itself other than self-deception and blindness in relation to the historical moment.

Martin Heidegger - The Age of the World Picture

We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we can't scoff at them personally, to their faces, and this is what annoys me.

Jack Handey

Anyone got a better Handey quote on tradition?

only 20 days left to vote - Heidegger vs. Handey

"purity of heart is to will one thing" -Kierkegaard

"How's this for one thing?" -Heidegger

Only where leader and led together bind each other in one destiny, and fight for the realization of one idea, does true order grow. Then spiritual superiority and freedom respond in the form of deep dedication of all powers to the people, to the state, in the form of the most rigid training, as commitment, resistance, solitude, and love. Then the existence and the superiority of the Führer sink down into being, into the soul of the people and thus bind it authentically and passionately to the task. And when the people feel this dedication, they will let themselves be led into struggle, and they will want and love the struggle. They will develop and persist in their strength, be true and sacrifice themselves. With each new moment the Führer and the people will be bound more closely, in order to realize the essence of their state, that is their Being; growing together, they will oppose the two threatening forces, death and the devil, that is, impermanence and the falling away from one's own essence, with their meaningful, historical Being and Will. (Quoted in Faye, 140)

from a review of Emmanuel Faye's recent book on Heidegger via Rob Sica (rss)

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Jack Handey FTW

concluding unscientific poll

With 43 votes cast, we now know, unscientifically, that Jack Handey is a greater philosopher than Martin Heidegger.



also, Kierkegaard '08!