Heidegger: A Beginner's Guide

by Michael Watts

Michael Inwood, Professor of Philosophy at Trinity College, Oxford in Great Britain, who has authored several important texts on Heidegger including A Heidegger Dictionary, wrote a foreword to the book in which he states:

“Michael Watts gives an exceptionally clear and readable account of Being and Time, while also performing the difficult feat of weaving this into an account of Heidegger’s later writings. He provides valuable guidance for the beginner through the complexities of Heidegger’s thought and much of interest for those who are already ‘on the way.’ ”

Genres: Philosophy

96 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

Reviews

[Mahdi Khalil Nejad · Rating 5 out of 5]

همونطور که فکر میکردم. فلسفه هایدگر هرچند که بسیار جالب و جدید میاد اما در همون حد آشنایی باهاش بنظر کافی میاد.
اگه مغز حرفش رو فهمیده باشیم بنظر نیازی نمیاد بیشتر از این ازش مطالعه ای داشته باشیم.
کتابی کوتاه و مختصر با ترجمه ای خیلی خوب که تقریبا بیشتر مباحث اصلی پرداخته شده از هایدگر رو پوشش میده.

[Afshin Nikkhoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

این کتاب تحت عنوان مقدمه‌ای بر فلسفه‌ی هایدگر ترجمه شده و کتاب خوبی برای آشنایی با طرز فکر و ترمینولوژی هایدگره. من این کتابو بخاطر این که در فهم کتاب هستی و زمان هایدگر مشکل داشتم خریدم.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

German philosophy is a world in itself, enwrapped in the intricacies of the German language. Still, Michael Watts's Heidegger does tend to make some sense out of all this -- even though I feel that many of Heidegger's philosophical terms are slipping away from me even as I write this review.

My own preference is for the philosophers of French existentialism, mainly because they were able to exemplify their philosophy in stories, such as those of Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus. Heidegger, being a rural Black Forest German, was trapped in his own difficult-communications-being unable to show his philosophy in action.

This is not to invalidate his work. As a non-philosopher and non-mathematician, it is that I have a different way of seeing the world.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

For such a small book it seems inept to cover the life and theories of one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th Century. Nevertheless Watts (so far) has authored a susinct insight into the interesting (though complex) world that is Heidegger. 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a starting place on Heidegger. 

[Ralph Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty solid intro. I would’ve liked some more clarity on the Nazi section of his career as if that were on a CV it would be hard to justify.