Discussion on the Study of Philosophy and Theology in the Perspective of the Intellectual History:

Taking Martin Luther's Influence on Heidegger as an Example

Abstract

In the study of the intellectual history in the traditional Chinese academia, the intellectual history is often secondary and indifferent in comparison with the history of politics and revolution. And the limitations brought about by such a bias are very clearly reflected in the traditional Chinese academic circles' perspective and attitude towards the study of Martin Luther. Luther has often been rigidly confined to the realm of peasant revolutionary movements, social history of religion, and church history; the important contribution of his intellect in the development of Western intellectual history and related humanistic fields has often been overlooked. The first two sections of this paper will start from the different schools and methods of research in the intellectual history of in the West, discussing on the one hand the differences between the research paths in the intellectual history in the West and those in pure theology and philosophy, and on the other hand the research methods and paths of the different schools in the intellectual history in the West, in order to illustrate the important contributions of Luther's intellect in the path of the history of ideas. Section three will develop in depth the entry points and innovations of the study of Luther's influence on Heidegger in the context of the history of intellect. Section four will discuss the innovations and breakthroughs in this study in relation to its predecessors through the innovations in Section three. Through this study, the importance of Luther in the development of Western intellectual history can be comprehensively and systematically represented. This study will be linked to the current series of studies on “Martin Luther and the Third Enlightenment” in the Chinese academic circles, calling for Luther's intellect not only not to be neglected, but also to be placed in an important position in the study of the history of Western intellect.