Zollikon Seminars - Background

Background

Boss was a psychoanalytic psychiatrist trained within the framework of natural scientific medicine. During active military duty as a field doctor during World War II (which "all Swiss men who were not psychologically impaired were required to do"), Boss read Heidegger's dense and often complicated text, Being and Time. He initially remarked that he "understood almost none of its content". Yet, as a psychiatrist, Boss was captivated by the ideas, which he evaluated as "fundamentally new, unheard of insights into the human being's way of existing in the world", and was intrigued by the author. Following World War II, Boss inquired about Heidegger, at which he was informed about Heidegger's participation in the Nazi Party and was discouraged from entertaining Heidegger's philosophy. However, Boss attempted to distinguish between Heidegger's philosophy and Heidegger's character, and, after evaluating the former, decided to write Heidegger a letter. In 1947, Boss wrote Heidegger, asking him to clarify some of his philosophical ideas. To Boss's surprise, Heidegger replied. For the next twelve years, Boss and Heidegger corresponded about by mail and personal visits. Boss, though, "did not feel it proper to be the only one benfitting from frequent meetings with a great thinker." With Heidegger's permission, Boss opened up their discussions with colleagues and students, beginning the Zollikon Seminars.