A new, more accessible translation of one of the most important philosophical works of the twentieth century
Martin Heidegger’s seminal work Sein und Zeit (Being and Time) is an exploration of the founding conditions of our being in any world, and of the varying revelations that allow for radically different experiences of things. But the very originality of the work, and the relentless stream of neologisms that Heidegger used to express concepts for which philosophy had no vocabulary, make the book a daunting read. This translation by Cyril Welch, classroom tested for more than twenty years, is far more readable than previous versions. It includes explanatory footnotes, as well as a translator’s preface that sets out Heidegger’s overall purpose and strategy in this complex and essential work.
Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) was a German philosopher whose work is perhaps most readily associated with phenomenology and existentialism, although his thinking should be identified as part of such philosophical movements only with extreme care and qualification. His ideas have exerted a seminal influence on the development of contemporary European philosophy. They have also had an impact far beyond philosophy, for example in architectural theory (see e.g., Sharr 2007), literary criticism (see e.g., Ziarek 1989), theology (see e.g., Caputo 1993), psychotherapy (see e.g., Binswanger 1943/1964, Guignon 1993) and cognitive science (see e.g., Dreyfus 1992, 2008; Wheeler 2005; Kiverstein and Wheeler forthcoming).