Heidegger (Past Masters) (Paperback)

~ Michael Inwood (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) is probably the most divisive philosopher of the twentieth century. He is considered by some to be greatest charlatan ever to claim the title of philosopher, an apologist for Nazism by others, and an acknowledged leader and central figure to many philosophers.

Michael Inwood's lucid introduction steers a clear path through Heidegger's complex language and thought. This short, accessible guide to the existentialist thought of Heidegger focuses on his most important work, Being and Time, and its major themes of existence in the world, inauthenticity, guilt, destiny, truth, and the nature of time. These themes are then reassessed in the light of Heidegger's later work, together with the extent of his philosophical importance and influence.

For anyone interested in philosophy, theology and literary theory, Heidegger is an invaluable guide to the complex and voluminous thought of a major twentieth-century existentialist philosopher.

About the Author

About the Author:
Michael Inwood is a Fellow of Trinity College, University of Oxford. His previous publications include Hegel and The Hegel Dictionary.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 23, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192831925
• ISBN-13: 978-0192831927
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,905,614 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A standard academic treatment of Heidegger., June 28, 2001

By	tepi "tepi" - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is your standard garden-variety academic treatment of Heidegger, alright so far as it goes, but rather dry reading. One interesting feature is its short 4-page Glossary of Heidegger's German terminology. It also has an index in which one notes the total absence of any mention of Buddhism, Mahayana, Zen, or the 'Tao Te Ching' (a text which Heidegger worked on), despite the fact that Heidegger's thought quite often reminds one of the great Taoist and Buddhist thinkers.

Anyone new to Heidegger who is looking for a good Introductory survey of the man and his thought would do much better to take a look at George Steiner's 'Martin Heidegger.' In contrast to Inwood, Steiner writes with real passion and leaves one with a desire to know more about this amazing thinker. In fact, Steiner's book is so good that you'll probably want to read it again. I was left wishing it had been two or three times longer.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine intro to a difficult subject, July 27, 2005

By	Steven Larsen (Philadelphia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heidegger: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

Heidegger was an obfuscator of the first order. Still, he had much to say as well as much influence on academia today. He is therefore worth getting to know. Rather then wade through several hundred pages of the deliberately (imo) opaque text in Being and Time, as I mistakenly did, this would be a nice start.

Truth is, Heidegger's ideas are not all that complex, it is his language that gives the appearence of difficult thought. Inwood clarifies but succeeds in avoiding over simplification. Still, I believe someone could do an even better job of presenting Heidegger's thought to the average reader.

Definitely recommended over any of those cartoon books on Heidegger which are not only too simple, but extremely dishonest and innacurate.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars On the whole, a very competent introduction, August 17, 2007

By	J. Pourtless (Tallahassee, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Heidegger: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

Inwood has produced what is, on the whole, an admirable introduction to Heidegger's thought that I found very useful. His suggestions for further study were also very helpful. However, the final chapter, where he discusses the serious issue of Heidegger's Nazism, struck me as an exercise in blatant apologetics, peppered with lame excuses for why we should simply overlook or forgive Heidegger's involvement with National Socialism. I would have given the book four stars were it not for this.