A Companion to Heidegger`s "Introduction to Metaphysics"

by Richard Polt, Martin Heidegger, Gregory Fried

Martin Heidegger’s Introduction to Metaphysics , first published in 1953, is a highly significant work by a towering figure in twentieth-century philosophy. The volume is known for its incisive analysis of the Western understanding of Being, its original interpretations of Greek philosophy and poetry, and its vehement political statements. This new companion to the Introduction to Metaphysics presents an overview of Heidegger’s text and a variety of perspectives on its interpretation from more than a dozen highly respected contributors.

In the editors’ introduction to the book, Richard Polt and Gregory Fried alert readers to the important themes and problems of Introduction to Metaphysics . The contributors then offer original essays on three broad the question of Being, Heidegger and the Greeks, and politics and ethics. Both for readers who are approaching Heidegger for the first time and for those who are studying Heidegger on an advanced level, this Companion offers a clear guide to one of the philosopher’s most difficult yet most influential writings.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

361 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2001

About the author

Richard F. H. Polt is a professor of philosophy at Xavier University. He holds a B.A. in philosophy from the University of California at Berkeley and a Ph.D. from the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago (1991). His main interests are the metaphysical and ethical problems of Greek and German philosophy. He has taught elective courses on a variety of topics, including Plato, Aristotle, Kant, German idealism, existentialism, slavery, time, and Heidegger.

Selected publications:

Heidegger: An Introduction. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1999.

A Companion to Heidegger's "Introduction to Metaphysics." Edited by Richard Polt and Gregory Fried. New Haven: Yale Unversity Press, 2001.

Heidegger's "Being and Time": Critical Essays. Edited by Richard Polt. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005.

The Emergency of Being: On Heidegger's "Contributions to Philosophy." Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2006.

Reviews

[Marks54 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am working through the “Introduction to Metaphysics” and needed some further clues regarding what was going on. This is a collection of essays by other philosophy profs, including the translators of the “Introduction” volume. It is quite helpful in providing some background and helping to flesh out some of the woolier sections of Heidegger’s book. I found the chapter on Antigone for example was extremely helpful. There are limits, however, and more slogging through ahead.