Dietrich von Hildebrand - The Heart

By John Henry Crosby

The Legacy Project had its inception in my desire to spend the year 2004 translating into English an assortment of German writings by Dietrich von Hildebrand. No sooner had I begun, however, than I realized that I was being presented with a kairosa moment of opportunity that I might never have again. I saw the possibility of undertaking other translations, and even of undertaking other initiatives on behalf of the legacy of von Hildebrand. Alice von Hildebrand, the widow of Dietrich von Hildebrand, saw these opportunities with me and has wholeheartedly supported the work of the Legacy Project from the very beginning.

The mission of the Legacy Project is to engage the contemporary world, both Christian and secular, by uncovering and disseminating the buried treasure of Dietrich von Hildebrands thought and witness. We plan to accomplish this in the following ways:

1. By translating into English the many writings of von Hildebrand from their original German and seeing to their publication;

2. By bringing important English writings of von Hildebrand back into print;

3. By giving special attention to distributing and disseminating our publications;

4. By collecting systematically the remembrances of von Hildebrand by those who had known him;

5. By establishing and developing a von Hildebrand website (www.hildebrandlegacy.org), to disseminate knowledge about von Hildebrand, to bring together those interested in his thought, and to offer a wide variety of resources to those studying von Hildebrand;

6. By publishing a quarterly newsletter, called Transformation;

7. By cataloguing and electronically preserving the unpublished papers, notes, and correspondence of von Hildebrand;

8. By sponsoring lectures, conferences, and other public events that will bring attention to the thought of von Hildebrand and set it in relation to the various streams of contemporary thought.

I am often asked why I founded the Legacy Project. How is it that a young man of 25 should devote himself to the work of appropriating, preserving, and disseminating the legacy of von Hildebrand? The answer begins in the close bond of friendship that connected my family to von Hildebrand many years before I was born. It is hard to imagine my maternal grandfather and my parents without the profound and formative relation they had to von Hildebrand. And while I never knew von Hildebrand personally (he died in 1977, the year before I was born), throughout my teenage years I had the privilege of coming to know Alice von Hildebrand. My appreciation for von Hildebrand grew especially during my university years. I felt increasingly that his rich and abundant vision of the world was becoming my own, and I began to understand why generations had been nourished by his prolific writings. Above all, I saw how true were the words which Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had written about von Hildebrand in the year 2000, and I quote:

I am personally convinced that, when, at some time in the future, the intellectual history of the Catholic Church in the twentieth century is written, the name of Dietrich von Hildebrand will be most prominent among the figures of our time.

Dietrich von Hildebrand was a philosopher I could follow. His heroic struggle against Nazism fired my imagination; his single-minded love and pursuit of truth presented me with a vivid embodiment of the true philosopher; and his passion for music, literature, and art taught me that life without beauty is impoverished and inhuman.

The Legacy Project is my response to the gift that Dietrich von Hildebrand has been in my life, and I am deeply aware that I am acting on behalf of the thousands who received this same gift in their own lives.

As the founder of the Legacy Project, I must acknowledge the specialinspiration and support of two PopesJohn Paul II and Benedict XVI. To John Paul II, I owe the sense of vocation that emerged from his many callsto the youth, to evangelists, and, of special importance for me, to philosophers who were inspired by their Philosopher-Pope to explore the natural mysteries of the world, to use the common language of philosophy to engage secular thinkers in dialogue, to draw on the resources of both traditional and contemporary philosophy, and to defend truth with courage and conviction. From the very start of his pontificate, John Paul had been calling for the renewal and regeneration of philosophy. I saw in the writings of von Hildebrand a remarkable anticipation of this call and the opportunity to offer a unique and timely response. Though John Paul died soon after the founding of the Legacy Project, he still knew of its existence and conveyed his apostolic blessing.

Likewise, Pope Benedict has played a central role in the work of the Legacy Project. His loyalty to John Paul, his deeply intelligent defense of the faith, and his own philosophical and theological contributions have inspired and motivated the Legacy Project. And not only is Pope Benedict a great admirer of von Hildebrand, prior to his elevation to the papacy he even joined the Legacy Project as an Honorary Member. As Pope, his continuing support has been concrete and vital. It is with joy that we join him as laborers in the vineyard of the Lord.

Three indispensable friends deserve the special distinction of co-founder. Alice von Hildebrand, wife and faithful messenger of her husbands thought and witness, has supported the Legacy Project from the first day of its existence. Without her there would be no Legacy Project. Then there is my father, John F. Crosby, himself a student and disciple of von Hildebrand, from whom I received my philosophical