In 2009 the master thesis 'A Heideggerian Mysticism' [in original Dutch 'Een Heideggeriaanse mystiek'] was written for the study 'philosophy' of the Radboud University Nijmegen.1 (Later this thesis was self published by Arvindus.) As customary the writing of this master thesis was guided by a professor in service of the university. In the guidance more than once the suggestion was given to change the title 'A Heideggerian Mysticism' to the title 'The Mystical in Heidegger's Thought'. By the writer then it was indicated that the latter title indicates the content of the thesis less accurate than the former. This then every time lead to the question of the professor what the difference is between a Heideggerian mysticism and the mystical in Heidegger's thought. Equally many times the writer amazed himself about that a professor, academically respected for his philosophical knowledge, apparently was not able to comprehend that difference, even the more because more than one explanation in the course of the writing of the thesis turned out to be not sufficient: the question returned several times.
The answer to the above mentioned question which turned out to be not sufficient resounded that in a thesis about the mystical in Heidegger's though this thought is taken as subject to then search therein for mysticism while in a thesis about a Heideggerian mysticism the latter as subject is opened, understood and translated through Heidegger's thought.
Perhaps the above answer was too concise and not concrete enough to convey the insight into the difference between a Heideggerian mysticism and the mystical in Heidegger's thought. Therefore here a somewhat more elaborate elucidation shall be given.
Let us start that elucidation with a linguistic analysis. With the title 'A Heideggerian Mysticism' regards 'A' an indefinite article, 'Heideggerian' an adjective and 'mysticism' a substantive. Now a substantive indicates an independence, an adjective a further specification of an independence and an indefinite article a non-determination of an independence. The title 'A Heideggerian Mysticism' lets thus stand mysticism by itself, specifies it as being Heideggerian and gives it a non-determination. The specification separates the regarded mysticism from other mysticisms and the non-determination places the specified mysticism among other possible mysticisms with the same specification. This was already, in other words, brought to the fore in the introduction of the thesis.
The linguistic analysis of 'The Mystical in Heidegger's Thought' is however different. Herein 'The' is a definite article, 'mystical' a substantive with an adjective complement, 'in' a preposition, 'Heidegger's' a substantive with an adjective complement and 'thought' a substantive. The title 'The mystical in Heidegger's thought' lets thus thought stand on itself, specifies it as being of the by himself standing Heidegger, and specifies it further as containing the mystical, which on its turn stands specified on itself.
The difference of syntaxis in the two titles shall be clear. 'The Mystical in Heidegger's Thought' knows no less than three on themselves standing givens that are connected to each other. The on itself standing thought is possessingly connected to Heidegger after which this pair is containingly connected to the mystical. The thought is Heidegger's and therein is the mystical. The title 'A Heideggerian Mysticism' however knows only one on itself standing given, namely mysticism. And hereto then the quality of Heideggerianness is ascribed. An expression in logical formulas may make the difference of structure and syntaxis even clearer.
Domain: {x, y, …}. Interpretation: h; Heidegger, D; … is a thought, M; … is a mysticism, V; … belongs to …, I; … is in …, H; … is Heideggerian.
Syntactically interpreted formula 1 says: 'There is an x and there is a y for which goes that x regards a thought and y a mysticism and x belongs to Heidegger and y is in x'. Semantically interpreted this formula says: 'There are a thought and a mysticism and that thought belongs to Heidegger and that mysticism is in that thought'. And this then is what the title 'The Mystical in Heidegger's Thought' logically semantically interpreted says.
Syntactically interpreted formula 2 says: 'There is an x for which goes that x is a mysticism and that x is Heideggerian'. Semantically interpreted this formula says: 'There is a mysticism and that mysticism is Heideggerian'. And this then is what the title 'A Heideggerian Mysticism' logically semantically interpreted says.
The difference in syntaxis and semantics with the two titles shall now probably be clear. This difference is logically acknowledged in the given that the two given formulas are not reduceable to each other. So they are essentially different. For the reading professors and non-professors who now still not have insight into the difference between the two titles still the approach of analogies can be taken. The difference between a Heideggerian mysticism and the mystical in Heidegger's thought may for instance be compared to the difference between an Orwellian situation and the situation in Orwell's 1984. The term 'Orwellian situation' is nowadays often applied to contemporary practises of spying by governments and those in power. And although these situations may perhaps be compared to the situation that Orwell described in his book 1984, Orwell in that book did not describe those contemporary situations but another, fictive, situation. A more figuratively comparison may make the difference even more clear. Herein the difference between a Heideggerian mysticism and the mystical in Heidegger's thought can be compared to the difference between a Gouda cheese and the cheese within Gouda's municipality borders. Gouda cheese is specific Gouda in taste and further qualities, however cheese within Gouda's municipality borders can equally so be Edam cheese. For the latter may equally so be sold in Gouda. And even so are Gouda cheeses far from being all located within Gouda's municipality borders. And in the same way are a Heideggerian mysticism and the mystical in Heidegger's thought different. Heideggerian mysticism is specifically in its qualities but does not per definition regards the mystical in Heidegger's thought.
May hereby then every non-understanding professor and non-professor be brought to understanding about the difference between a Heideggerian mysticism and the mystical in Heidegger's thought.