Thomas Sheehan on Heidegger’s Being and Time

Heidegger's 'Logic, the Question of Truth' collects lectures from 1925–26 in which he examines psychologism, the nature of logos, and the Greek notion of aletheia (unconcealment), developing themes later central to Being and Time. The text functions as a partial first draft for aspects of Being and Time, especially Heidegger's rethinking of truth, meaning, and temporality. It includes close readings of Aristotle and Kant and anticipates Heidegger's later work on schematism and time as the horizon for disclosure. Thomas Sheehan's recent English translation and commentary make this difficult course more accessible and illuminate Heidegger's conceptual development in the mid-1920s.

In 'Being and Time', Heidegger delves into the fundamental question of what it means to 'be'. The book is divided into two main divisions: the first analyzes the existentials of Dasein, or 'being-in-the-world', while the second grounds these existentials in temporality. Heidegger introduces key concepts such as 'Dasein', 'Being-with', and the three temporal ecstases (having-been, present, and to-come), emphasizing that Dasein's existence is essentially futural and characterized by its possibilities and projects. The work challenges traditional philosophical notions of subject and object, instead positing that Dasein is inseparable from its world and historical context.

'What is Metaphysics? ' is an essay by Martin Heidegger that explores the concept of nothingness and its relation to being. Heidegger challenges traditional metaphysical thinking by questioning the fundamental assumptions about existence. He introduces the idea that the experience of 'nothing' reveals the finitude and contingency of human existence. The essay delves into the nature of anxiety (angst) as a fundamental mood that brings us face to face with nothingness. Through this exploration, Heidegger seeks to redefine metaphysics and its role in understanding the meaning of being and our place in the world.

Published in 1938, 'Nausea' is Jean-Paul Sartre's first novel and a seminal work in existentialist literature. The story follows Antoine Roquentin, a solitary historian living in the fictional town of Bouville, as he experiences intense feelings of nausea and existential crisis. Through Roquentin's diary entries, Sartre delves into themes such as the contingency of existence, the distinction between 'being-in-itself' and 'being-for-itself,' and the idea that 'existence precedes essence. ' Roquentin's struggles with his research on the Marquis de Rollebon and his interactions with people around him highlight the absurdity and randomness of the world, leading him to confront the bare existence of things and the meaninglessness of human existence. The novel is a profound exploration of existential angst, freedom, and responsibility.