World as Heimat: Ernst Bloch and the Future of a Contested Term

Abstract

This paper examines the interaction between Heimat as a social construct and the authentic longing for Heimat and security in Ernst Bloch’s magnum opus The Principle of Hope. Echoing the language of globalization and hypermobility, the ideas of place-lessness and detachment from specific locations seem to be the fundamental characteristics of today’s life. But behind this lies the human need to continuously establish new perceptions of Heimat and new practices of Heimat-making. Heimat, then, I argue, is not a romantic, fixed, and limited place to be protected. It is a pluralistic and conflict-ridden sphere of agency that can foster social exclusion, but which can also open up new connections and possibilities for human self-determination.