Heidegger: His Life and His Philosophy (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780231157971)

Martin Heidegger was an ordinary Nazi and a loyal member of the provincial petty bourgeoisie. He was also a seminal thinker of the Continental tradition and one of the twentieth century's most important philosophers. How are we to make sense of this dual life? Should we factor Heidegger's domestic and political associations into our understanding of his thought, or should we treat his intellectual work independently of his abhorrent politics? How does any thinker reconcile the mundane with the ideal or the pursuit of philosophical inquiry with the demands of civic engagement?

In Heidegger, Alain Badiou and Barbara Cassin immerse themselves in the philosopher's correspondence with his wife Elfride to answer these questions as they relate to Heidegger and all thinkers vulnerable to the politics of their times. They focus on Heidegger's tormented relationship with his wife, with Hannah Arendt, and with numerous other women, bringing an unusual level of intimacy to his personal and intellectual worlds.

Author: Alain Badiou, Barbara Cassin
ISBN-10: 0231157975
ISBN-13: 9780231157971
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Language: English
Published: 09/06/2016
Pages: 120
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.25lbs
Size: 6.90h x 5.40w x 0.30d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 09/15/2016

About the Author
Alain Badiou is emeritus professor of philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris.

Barbara Cassin is a French linguist and philosopher and director of research at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris.

Kenneth Reinhard is associate professor of English and comparative literature at the University of California, Los Angeles.