Historical Dictionary of Heidegger's Philosophy [Hardcover]

This is one of the most successful and useful reference books that can be encountered on a single philosopher.Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) was arguably one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century; he has certainly been one of the most written and talked about, not only for the evolution of his philosophical thought and its influence but also for his dalliance with National Socialism in the 1930s and beyond. These factors alone would make him a fit subject for number 101 in the publisher's Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements, a series that has also included Descartes, Nietzsche, Russell, and Heidegger's mentor, Edmund Husserl among its philosophical subjects. Like Husserl, he was a notoriously difficult philosopher. This, compounded by the uncertainties of translation, makes any volume that can help make sense of his work to English readers welcome. In this volume, author Schalow, research professor at the University of New Orleans, has significantly updated Alfred Denker's 2000 first edition.The main sections of the book are a chronology, introduction, 265-page dictionary section, 3 appendixes ( Heidegger's Writings, Lectures, Courses, and Seminars ; German-English Glossary ; Greek-English Glossary ), and 72-page bibliography. The bibliography contains 16 main divisions, including Works in German, Works in English, Correspondence, Bibliography and Reference, and Background and Biography. Although no definitive key to unlocking Heidegger is likely to appear, this volume could be a useful companion during a reading of a Heidegger text. The chronology and introduction provide helpful context, though the dictionary entries often become bogged down in the obscurity and slipperiness of Heidegger's terms and their English equivalents. Recommended for colleges and universities where Heidegger is studied.Perhaps of greatest importance for scholars is the expanded bibliography, which is likely the most wide-ranging print lƒ&