Heidegger

Martin Heidegger ranks alongside Wittgenstein as one of the twentieth century's most influential yet cryptic and controversial philosophers. A towering figure in the schools of phenomenology and existential, his work inspired Sartre, Merleau-Ponty and Derrida. This introduction covers the whole of Heidegger's work and is ideal for anyone coming to his work for the first time.

John Richardson centres his introduction around the two topics that characterise Heidegger's work as a whole and that form the title of his most importnt work: being and time. Beginning with an overview of Heidegger's life and work, he explains the development of Heidgger's thought up to the publication of Being and Time. He then introduces and assesses the key arguments of Being and Time under three key headings: pragmatism; existentialism; and the themes of time and being. He also explains how Heidegger departed from Husserl's understanding of phenomenology itself.

Subsequent chapters introduce Heidegger's later philosophy, in particular his turn towards an historicized account of being; his influential writings on art, poetry and language and his view that art and literature are essential to an evolving, cultural understanding of human being; and his theory that being is expressed above all in technology and science which problematically 'enframes' much of our understanding and action. The final chapter considers Heidegger's profound influence on a number of different intellectual movements from existentialism to postmodernism and how his work was taken up and criticised by subsequent philosophers.

A much-needed and refreshing introduction to this major figure, Heidegger is ideal reading for anyone coming to his work for the first time and will interest and stimulate students and scholars alike.