There can be no last word on Heidegger's Black Notebooks and the incomprehensible and unjustifiable positions of one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century. Only a collective, plurivocal approach can help us read what is illegible. Avoiding the extremes of justification and excommunication, the authors in this collection succeed in this painful but necessary task. Catherine Malabou, Kingston University and U.C. Irvine
Focusing on the concept of "the fourfold," Andrew J. Mitchell explores Heidegger's later philosophy, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of earth, sky, divinities, and mortals. This work serves as the first comprehensive analysis of this often-overlooked aspect of Heidegger's thought, shedding light on how these relationships shape our understanding of existence and the significance of things in the world.
Bodily existence is characterized by a fascination with a world beyond reach, embodying desire and metaphor while teetering on the edge of nonexistence. It involves a relentless pursuit of the real, the other, and the materiality of existence, intertwined with religious hypotheses and absolute relativity. Each utopia reflects a form of disillusionment, drawing one into a paradoxical cycle of reason, compulsion, and consumption. The body, our most intricate machine amidst relentless technological advancement, serves multiple roles: a marvel of engineering, the face of primal nature, a vessel for the soul, and a fragile, disposable entity. Bodies are reproduced, experimented upon, dissected, and debated, enduring moral scrutiny while being both abused and adored. This interface with the world exposes the body to constant examination, making it a site where violence meets metaphysics, and the sublime mingles with the grotesque. The body cannot remain neutral; it must respond to external challenges and internal impulses. Our survival, epitomized in the act of sex, elevates the body into a unique state of existence that, though fleeting, encapsulates the essence of being, heightening sense and ultimately leading to dissolution.