大學向來被德國的知識分子視為指引文化、照亮人性的燈塔，尤其在民族危殆的時刻，大學的本質更受到高度關注；海德格爾以〈德國大學之自我主張〉為題所做之校長就職演說，便是基於此一歷史脈絡而提出的教育方針。演說內容由科學的本質切入，並將教育和民族命運相互聯繫，著重的是藉追問存在之真理始獲開展的人之本質及精神世界，以區別標榜理智計算與工具知識的現代科學，一種奠基於笛卡兒「我思故我在」形上學、把人當作主體而形成之世界圖像。為力挽早已失去根源之各門科學，海德格爾乃訴諸古希臘哲學，重新思考真理的本質。值得留意的是，這篇演說不僅帶有很濃的「歷史性」觀點，更可循此深究海德格爾對存在之真理所產生的洞見、其於真理探索中所凸顯的思想「轉向」，以及他在思想和科學教育上另闢之蹊徑。

Describing a university as leading the way for culture and illuminating humanity, German intellectuals have always compared it to a lighthouse. Moreover, in the face of national crisis, the essence of a university is more emphasized than earlier. This study discusses Heidegger’s rectoral address entitled ”The Self-Assertion of the German University,” which is an educational policy devised within such a historical context. The main concern of this address is the essence of science that coalesces with the national destiny. Heidegger asserts that only by questioning the truth of Being can human beings unfold essentially and create a truly spiritual world different from the structure of modern culture characterized by rational calculation and useful information. In the modern culture founded on Descartes’ metaphysics ”cogito ergo sum,” the human being is taken as a subject, and the world, as a picture. To save the dispersed sciences from their atrophied rootedness, Heidegger resorts to ancient Greek philosophy and rethinks the essence of truth. His rectoral address has gained a distinguishable “historicality” flavor that may shed light on how we can grasp his insight about the truth of Being. As the study progresses, topics on Heidegger’s ”turning” and his unique thought-provoking educational approach are also discussed.