Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9317 in Books
• Published on: 1978-10-12
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 592 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
It has been said, and not without good reason, that much of what we know as modern Continental Philosophy is no more than a mere footnote to Martin Heidegger's (1889-1976) mammoth Being and Time. Without doubt Heidegger's major work this translation, by John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson, was the first English interpretation of Sein und Zeit, Heidegger's groundbreaking investigation into the question of Being, and although it has its critics it has served as the standard rendering of the work for many years. Whilst Joan Stambaugh's more idiomatic translation is certainly a little easier to read, the Macquarrie and Robinson work has not been surpassed for its fidelity to the original German. Serious students of Heidegger should perhaps read both translations whilst bearing in mind that Heidegger himself was profoundly concerned with the thought structures of any language that so handicap the possibility of translation. Being and Time is an essential reference book for anyone interested in modern philosophy. --Mark Thwaite

Book Jacket
A knowledge of Heidegger's Sein und Zeit is essential for anyone who wishes to understand a great deal of recent continental work in theology as well as philosophy. Yet until this translation first appeared in 1962, this fundamental work of one of the most influential European thinkers of the century remained inaccessible to English readers. In fact the difficulty of Heidegger's thought was considered to be almost insuperable in the medium of a foreign language, especially English.

That this view was unduly pessimistic is proved by the impressive work of John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson who have succeeded in clothing Heidegger's thought in English without sacrificing the richness and poetic subtlety of the original.

Synopsis
A knowledge of Heidegger's Sein und Zeit is essential for anyone who wishes to understand a great deal of recent continental work in theology as well as philosophy. Yet until this translation first appeared in 1962, this fundamental work of one of the most influential European thinkers of the century remained inaccessible to English readers. In fact the difficulty of Heidegger's thought was considered to be almost insuperable in the medium of a foreign language, especially English.That this view was unduly pessimistic is proved by the impressive work of John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson who have succeeded in clothing Heidegger's thought in English without sacrificing the richness and poetic subtlety of the original.

Customer Reviews

Magisterial!!!
In a century crowded with philosophical masterworks 'Being and Time' stands supreme. Heidegger's virtual reinvention of the the basic framework of Western philosophy is an extraordinary achievement. In spite of its manifold difficulties, this is a work of true genius and it should be read with the most careful attention by anyone interested in in post-classical philosophy. Unmissable!!!

Nazi apologetics
Don't forget - the guy was a Nazi. Read it - if you must - with that in mind, and then you might just understand why this whiole book attacks science and reason. It is an attcak on all the values of the Enlightenment, and a hymn to dogma and confusion .

You Won't Understand This
You won't understand this work. The reviews of the previous Amazonians who purport to have read this are highly suspect: maybe they read an online synopsis or a Short Introduction to Heidegger. Yes I agree, from what I've heard this book is a masterpiece...but without a good four years of study at a top university in philosophy and the history thereof you will enjoy this book only as a door stop or a paper weight. There's nothing wrong with that: having this book on your shelf (preferably where visitors can see it) will brighten your room up considerably but when you start to read Heidegger's magnum opus you'll understand why Heidegger is so revered and why none of the reviewers have read this book: what he says is so profound that it is almost uncomprehendable to you or me. If you're looking for something to discuss over coffee with your friends, buy The Da Vinci Code, if you're looking for change-the-world literature, buy this.