Introduction to Philosophy

Martin Heidegger

Newcomb Livraria Press

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A new 2024 translation of Heidegger's early work "Introduction to Philosophy" (German title "Einleitung in Die Philosophie"), originally published in 1919. This edition contains a new afterword by the Translator, a timeline of Heidegger's life and works, a philosophic index of core Heideggerian concepts and a guide for terminology across 19th and 20th century Existentialists. This translation is designed for readability and accessibility to Heidegger's enigmatic and dense philosophy. Complex and specific philosophic terms are translated as literally as possible and academic footnotes have been removed to ensure easy reading. Heidegger emphasizes the idea that philosophy cannot be understood as just another academic discipline or field of study. He argues against the notion of philosophy as a science or a body of knowledge, stating that philosophy is neither purely academic nor purely theoretical. Instead, he insists on the importance of understanding philosophy as a way of being, a fundamental mode of human existence that shapes our understanding of the world and ourselves. This perspective is rooted in Heidegger's broader philosophical project of questioning and understanding the nature of Being. Throughout the paper, Heidegger uses a variety of terms and concepts unique to his philosophical language, such as "Dasein" (the being there or existence of humans) and "Being" (the nature or essence of existence), to articulate his ideas. These concepts are crucial to understanding Heidegger's perspective on the inseparability of philosophy from human existence and the need for a new approach to philosophical inquiry. This edition was re-created from a photocopy of Heidegger's handwritten manuscript. The manuscript comprises 106 quarto leaves written in landscape format, with the main text on the left and additions, inserts, and references on the right. Some of these additions were made post-lecture. The manuscript is supplemented by an enclosure booklet with notes. Heidegger's work is divided into three sections: Philosophy and Science, Philosophy and Worldview, and Philosophy and History. The section on Philosophy and Worldview is notably expanded with an in-depth discussion of Kant's concept of the world, though more than twenty pages of this discussion were not included in the presentation.