Heidegger: An Introduction [Paperback]

Richard Polt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 7, 1999

Richard Polt provides a lively and accessible introduction to one of the most influential and intellectually demanding philosophers of the modern era. Covering the entire range of Heidegger's thought, Polt skillfully communicates the essence of the philosopher, enabling readers, especially those new to his writings, to approach his works with confidence and insight. Polt presents the questions Heidegger grappled with and the positions he adopted, and also analyzes persistent points of difference between competing schools of interpretation. The book begins by exploring Heidegger's central concern, the question of Being, and his way of doing philosophy. After considering his environment, personality, and early thought, it carefully takes readers through his best-known work, Being and Time. Heidegger concludes with highlights of its subject's later thought, providing guidelines for understanding Contributions to Philosophy and other important texts. It gives special attention to the philosopher's political involvement with the Nazis in the 1930s, indicating the strengths and weaknesses of the reactions to his politics, reactions ranging from exculpation to complete condemnation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Polt, professor of philosophy at Xavier University and translator of Nietzsche's Twilight of the Idols, offers an introduction to reading Heidegger. Clearly intended as a supplement to Being and Time, his book also provides interesting details on Heidegger's biography and political life and surveys some of the philosopher's later writings. Although the author's descriptions of Heidegger's methodology and vocabulary and his analyses of sections from Being and Time purport to make Heidegger's thinking accessible to first-time readers, it is unclear how this rephrasing and simplifying makes reading Being and Time more engaging. In fact, Polt's paraphrases of Heidegger often result in dry descriptions and distortions of the text. For instance, in order to clarify the relationship between Heidegger's "moment of vision" and authentic existence, Polt offers the cliched example of a mechanic, which makes the "moment of vision" appear to be a rather empty concept: "In an authentic moment of vision, he sees his current situation and understands that it forms part of his life. The repair shop is not just his place of work: it is the arena in which he is improvising the drama of his life story." It is hard to escape the impression that the author's attempt to make reading Heidegger easier?by reducing the concepts of Being and Time to commonplaces?ultimately obscures the task of authentic thinking. Readers' Subscription main selection.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"This book is without a doubt the best general introduction to Heidegger ever written. Richard Polt has an uncanny ability to present Heidegger's central ideas in a straightforward way without sacrificing any of their richness or novelty. With his exceptional mastery of German, his concise formulations, and his sensitive, almost poetic style, Polt brings the philosopher's work to life. An incomparable achievement."-Charles Guignon, editor of The Cambridge Companion to Heidegger

"Provides interesting details on Heidegger's biography and political life and surveys some of the philosopher's later writings."-Publishers Weekly

"Polt has written a valuable introduction for beginners to Heidegger. . . Polt encourages the reader to try Heidegger's ideas on for size, and to judge them accordingly. Heidegger's philosophy comes to life in this little book. Highly recommended for all levels."-Choice

"Polt negotiates the difficult path between introduction and over-simplification skilfully. Heidegger: An Introduction succeeds in making the philosopher's thought accessible without rendering it simplistic."-Neil Levy, Philosophy in Review. February-December, 1999.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Press (January 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801485649
• ISBN-13: 978-0801485640
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #496,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, February 18, 2008

By 

Thomas - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heidegger: An Introduction (Paperback)

As a professional philosopher who has been interested in Heidegger for years but who does not focus on this subject, I have found Polt's book among the most helpful, especially in approaching the later Heidegger, which has been much more of an enigma to me than the Heidegger of Being and Time. Polt does not pretend to ignore difficulties, nor is his approach "analytic" (unless this means "clear"). Too long Heidegger has suffered from acolytes who aspire to imitate his style. Polt's approach is that of a teacher, a very good one, which is to say, he helps one make progress on one's own with the subject itself.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A work of exceptional clarity, March 27, 2000

By 

Peter Baehr (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heidegger: An Introduction (Paperback)

Richard Polt has done the readers of Heidegger - especially those beginning their journey into Heidegger's work - an exemplary service in writing this book. It is not only exceptionally clear throughout, but is also unusual in discussing the totality of Heidegger's work, and not just <Being and Time>. If you know little or nothing about Heidegger's philosophy, Polt's book is the place to start. If you are well versed in Heidegger's writings, you might contemplate Polt's achievement: an accessible book that does not talk down to its readers.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last an uncompromising but lucid intro to Heidegger!, July 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Heidegger: An Introduction (Hardcover)

I ordered a copy of this book to preview it for possible use in an undergraduate philosophy course. The text surpassed my best hopes. Polt's lucid and engaging explanations give such clear sense and context to Heidegger's work that the murky waters of contemporary continental philosophy can now have meaning even for philosophy undergrads and non-philosophers. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand the thought of a singularly interesting but difficult philosopher.