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Graduate School with Heidegger
Greg Johnson's Graduate School with Heidegger is unique in the vast literature on Heidegger. Written by a self-proclaimed "failed academic" for intelligent laymen, these essays and lectures serve as a non-systematic, non-technical introduction to the twentieth century's most influential and difficult philosopher.
Johnson explains essential concepts like phenomenology, metaphysics, and nihilism. He defines technical terms like Being, the clearing, and the event. He discusses Heidegger's relationships to Nietzsche, Husserl, and Evola. He explores the roots of Heidegger's nationalist and ecological politics. He responds to the Heidegger interpretations of Thomas Sheehan, Richard Polt, Ronald Beiner, Alexander Dugin, John Caputo, and Richard Rorty. Finally, he recommends Heidegger's many lecture courses as a graduate-level education in philosophy, free of the staggering cost and stifling conformity of contemporary academia.
Johnson explains essential concepts like phenomenology, metaphysics, and nihilism. He defines technical terms like Being, the clearing, and the event. He discusses Heidegger's relationships to Nietzsche, Husserl, and Evola. He explores the roots of Heidegger's nationalist and ecological politics. He responds to the Heidegger interpretations of Thomas Sheehan, Richard Polt, Ronald Beiner, Alexander Dugin, John Caputo, and Richard Rorty. Finally, he recommends Heidegger's many lecture courses as a graduate-level education in philosophy, free of the staggering cost and stifling conformity of contemporary academia.
- GenresPhilosophy
222 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2020
2 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Greg Johnson
199 books27 followersGreg Johnson has been in publishing for more than 25 years. Before becoming a full-time literary agent in 1994, he wrote and published 20 works of nonfiction with traditional publishers, as well as being an editor for a teenage boys magazine for five years. In his years as an agent, he has personally represented more than 2,300 books and negotiated more than 1,800 contracts to over 85 publishing houses. These works include adult trade books (non-fiction and fiction), children’s books, specialty Bibles, movie options, video curricula, audio products, gift books and greeting cards.
While Greg’s stable of authors is near full, he will occasionally take on new authors and new projects. Along with representing a broad array of adult fiction, primarily in the Christian market, Greg works with pastors and speakers, male and female, who have important and compelling messages to author for their constituents. He has also carved a niche by representing military nonfiction/memoir for those who have served our country from WWII until today. Business books, health and humor rounds out what he is looking to acquire.
Greg is married to Becky and together they are parents of six adult children and seven grandchildren. They make their home near Denver, Colo.
~http://www.wordserveliterary.com/part...
While Greg’s stable of authors is near full, he will occasionally take on new authors and new projects. Along with representing a broad array of adult fiction, primarily in the Christian market, Greg works with pastors and speakers, male and female, who have important and compelling messages to author for their constituents. He has also carved a niche by representing military nonfiction/memoir for those who have served our country from WWII until today. Business books, health and humor rounds out what he is looking to acquire.
Greg is married to Becky and together they are parents of six adult children and seven grandchildren. They make their home near Denver, Colo.
~http://www.wordserveliterary.com/part...
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February 23, 2025
Greg Johnson’s Graduate School with Heidegger offers a critical reflection on the philosophical and existential challenges of engaging with Martin Heidegger’s thought within the academic setting. The book provides both an intellectual and personal account of grappling with Heidegger’s complex philosophy, particularly in the context of graduate education, where intellectual rigor and ideological constraints often collide.
Johnson’s central argument revolves around the idea that Heidegger’s philosophy, with its emphasis on Being, authenticity, and the questioning of metaphysical presuppositions, poses a challenge to contemporary academia. He explores how Heidegger’s work demands a radical reevaluation of traditional philosophical paradigms and institutional norms, making it both an invaluable and a controversial subject of study. The book is structured as a combination of memoir, philosophical commentary, and critique of modern academia, blending personal experience with rigorous engagement with Heideggerian concepts.
One of the book’s strengths is its lucid exposition of Heidegger’s major ideas, making them accessible to readers who may not be specialists in Continental philosophy. Johnson effectively distills complex themes such as Dasein, historicity, and the ontological difference, showing their relevance not only within the academic sphere but also in broader cultural and intellectual contexts. Additionally, his critique of the ideological biases in contemporary higher education raises important questions about academic freedom and intellectual diversity.
However, the book is not without its limitations. Some readers may find Johnson’s polemical stance against mainstream academia overly dismissive, as he tends to emphasize ideological constraints while underplaying the genuine contributions of contemporary philosophical scholarship. Furthermore, while his engagement with Heidegger is thorough, the book sometimes lacks engagement with counterarguments or alternative interpretations of Heidegger’s legacy, particularly regarding his political entanglements.
Despite these critiques, Graduate School with Heidegger is a thought-provoking work that will appeal to students of philosophy, scholars interested in Heidegger, and those critical of contemporary academic institutions. Johnson’s book serves as both an introduction to Heidegger’s philosophy and a critique of the challenges faced by those who seek to study it in depth.
Johnson’s Graduate School with Heidegger is an engaging and provocative reflection on Heidegger’s thought and its place in modern academia. While some of its criticisms may be contentious, the book succeeds in highlighting the enduring significance of Heideggerian philosophy and the intellectual struggles that accompany its study. It is a recommended read for those interested in the intersection of philosophy, education, and intellectual independence.
GPT
Johnson’s central argument revolves around the idea that Heidegger’s philosophy, with its emphasis on Being, authenticity, and the questioning of metaphysical presuppositions, poses a challenge to contemporary academia. He explores how Heidegger’s work demands a radical reevaluation of traditional philosophical paradigms and institutional norms, making it both an invaluable and a controversial subject of study. The book is structured as a combination of memoir, philosophical commentary, and critique of modern academia, blending personal experience with rigorous engagement with Heideggerian concepts.
One of the book’s strengths is its lucid exposition of Heidegger’s major ideas, making them accessible to readers who may not be specialists in Continental philosophy. Johnson effectively distills complex themes such as Dasein, historicity, and the ontological difference, showing their relevance not only within the academic sphere but also in broader cultural and intellectual contexts. Additionally, his critique of the ideological biases in contemporary higher education raises important questions about academic freedom and intellectual diversity.
However, the book is not without its limitations. Some readers may find Johnson’s polemical stance against mainstream academia overly dismissive, as he tends to emphasize ideological constraints while underplaying the genuine contributions of contemporary philosophical scholarship. Furthermore, while his engagement with Heidegger is thorough, the book sometimes lacks engagement with counterarguments or alternative interpretations of Heidegger’s legacy, particularly regarding his political entanglements.
Despite these critiques, Graduate School with Heidegger is a thought-provoking work that will appeal to students of philosophy, scholars interested in Heidegger, and those critical of contemporary academic institutions. Johnson’s book serves as both an introduction to Heidegger’s philosophy and a critique of the challenges faced by those who seek to study it in depth.
Johnson’s Graduate School with Heidegger is an engaging and provocative reflection on Heidegger’s thought and its place in modern academia. While some of its criticisms may be contentious, the book succeeds in highlighting the enduring significance of Heideggerian philosophy and the intellectual struggles that accompany its study. It is a recommended read for those interested in the intersection of philosophy, education, and intellectual independence.
GPT
Displaying 1 of 1 review