Heidegger and Classical Thought

Explores Martin Heidegger’s rich and profound engagement with ancient philosophy and literature and demonstrates both his essential place within the discourse of classical studies and the fundamental significance of classical thought for his own work.

Despite a sustained and fruitful relationship with the classical philologists of his day, Martin Heidegger’s status among classicists has long since been strained, especially in the Anglophone tradition. Heidegger and Classical Thought reemphasizes both Heidegger’s importance to classical discourse and the significance of classical discourse for Heidegger’s own work. The essays found in this book demonstrate the depth and breadth of Heidegger’s engagement with classical thought throughout his life, from his early engagements with Aristotle and Plato to his profound readings of the early Greek thinkers. At the same time, this book shows how reading Heidegger’s interpretation of classical thought offers new and innovative ways to approach and study antiquity.

Aaron Turner is Research Associate at Royal Holloway, University of London and a Knapp Fellow at the Knapp Foundation. He is the editor of Reconciling Ancient and Modern Philosophies of History.