Martin Heidegger (1889–1976)

Here is a short presentation of Martin Heidegger:

​Nationality: German

Key Work: Being and Time (1927)

Main Interests: Ontology, phenomenology, existentialism, hermeneutics

Who was Heidegger?

Martin Heidegger was one of the most influential and controversial philosophers of the 20th century. His work reshaped how we think about being, time, and human existence.

Core Ideas:

• Being (Sein): Heidegger believed Western philosophy had forgotten the fundamental question: What does it mean to be? He sought to reawaken this inquiry.

• Dasein: A term he used to describe the human experience of being—literally “being-there.” Dasein is a being that can question its own existence.

• Being-toward-death: Human beings are aware of their mortality, and this awareness shapes how we live authentically.

• Thrownness (Geworfenheit): We are “thrown” into a world not of our choosing, with language, culture, and history already in place.

• Technology: In later works, Heidegger warned against the modern technological worldview that treats everything—including humans—as mere resources.

Influence:

Heidegger’s ideas deeply impacted existentialism (e.g. Sartre), hermeneutics (e.g. Gadamer), and postmodernism (e.g. Foucault, Derrida). He remains a central figure in continental philosophy.

Controversy:

Heidegger’s involvement with the Nazi Party in the 1930s remains a subject of intense debate and criticism.

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