Posedlost redefinovat standardní pojmy a tím je falšovat, je modernistům vlastní. Když se v roce 1936 Heidegger setkal v Římě s židovským filosofem Karlem Löwithem, tak se bavili o tom, jak může patřit k nacistickému establishmentu. Heideggerova odpověď byla klassická: Nebýt mne a mně podobných, byl by nacism ještě horší. Na to Löwith replikoval, OK, ale jak můžete sedět vedle Julia Streichera (po válce byl za své texty popraven, ačkoliv se ničeho jiného nikdy nedopustil: "For his 25 years of speaking, writing, and preaching hatred of the Jews, Streicher was widely known as ‘Jew-Baiter Number One.’ In his speeches and articles, week after week, month after month, he infected the German mind with the virus of anti-Semitism, and incited the German people to active persecution... Streicher's incitement to murder and extermination at the time when Jews in the East were being killed under the most horrible conditions clearly constitutes persecution on political and racial grounds in connection with war crimes, as defined by the Charter, and constitutes a crime against humanity."). Heidegger odpověděl, že Der Stürmer je pornografie, o níž nemá cenu se bavit: Nedá se s ní nic dělat, a proto je nutno se smířit s její existencí.
Symptomatické je osobní Heideggerovo chování, které napoví víc, než by Magnovi bylo milé:
The next day, my wife and I made an excursion to Frascati and Tusculum with Heidegger, his wife, and his two small sons, whom I had often cared for when they were little. It was a radiant afternoon, and I was happy about this final get together, despite undeniable reservations. Even on this occasion, Heidegger did not remove the Party insignia from his lapel. He wore it during his entire stay in Rome, and it had obviously not occurred to him that the swastika was out of place while spending the day with me.
