The History of Beyng by Martin Heidegger

The History of Beyng by Martin Heidegger

The History of Beyng belongs to a series of Martin Heidegger's reflections from the 1930s that concern how to think about being not merely as a series of occurrences, but as essentially historical or fundamentally as an event. Beginning with Contributions to Philosophy (Of the Event), these texts are important for their meditations on the oblivion and abandonment of being, politics, and race, and for their incisive critique of power, force, and violence. Originally published in 1998 as volume 69 of Heidegger's Complete Works, this English translation opens new avenues for understanding the trajectory of Heidegger's thinking during this crucial time.

[Heidegger's] account of the history of beyng is put to the test by its ability to provide insight into the most important social and political events of his day — including the rise of fascism and communism in Europe, the outbreak of global wars, and the horrific genocidal turn of anti-Semitic hostilities in GermanyThis makes the book essential reading for anyone interested in Heidegger's later work.

Overall, the updated translation showcases what is a central and often-overlooked text in Heidegger's oeuvre, with perspicuity and illumination. Maintaining a style that shows just why contemporary readers should return to this text for themes that are arguably as relevant, if not more so, to the modern world than they were at the time when Heidegger was writing.

Jeffrey Powell is Professor of Philosophy at Marshall University and the editor of Heidegger and Language (IUP, 2012).
William McNeill is Professor of Philosophy at DePaul University, Chicago. He has translated or co-translated several Heidegger texts, most recently (with Julia Ireland) Hölderlin's Hymns "Germania" and "The Rhine" (IUP, 2014).