Heidegger in 90 Minutes

By: Paul Strathern

Narrated by: Robert Whitfield

Length: 1 hr and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the two major philosophical traditions of the twentieth century was linguistic analysis, derived largely from Wittgenstein. The other, diametrically opposed, came from Heidegger, and its fundamental question was, "What is the meaning of existence?" For Heidegger, this question could not simply be "analyzed away". It was beyond the reach of logic or reason. It was the primary "given" of every individual life. To confront it, Heidegger needed to develop an entire new form of philosophy.

In Heidegger in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Heidegger's life and ideas, and explains their influence on man's struggle to understand his existence in the world. The book also includes selections from Heidegger's work, a brief list of suggested readings for those who wish to delve deeper, and chronologies that place Heidegger within his own age and in the broader scheme of philosophy.

©2002 Paul Strathern (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Well-written, clear, and informed, they have a breezy wit about them. I find them hard to stop reading." (The New York Times)

Mostly very critical

I was hoping to find out a little bit about why some people *like* Heidegger. This summary criticizes Heidegger's use of language, and is unsure he can really be said to mean anything behind the words. It notes that Heidegger ultimately didn't try to answer his chief questions about Dasein within his own lifetime. But surely Heidegger got somewhere in demonstrating that progress could be made within his conception of the problem.

Basically, I've heard three minute summaries of Heidegger which were more informative.

Concise, interesting, and relevant

The book was concise, interesting, and relevant to modern times as interest in the thinking of people like this appears ascendant in the US.

Loved it.

I enjoyed the development of the story of his Heidegger's life and times: his youth, his country, his views on modern life, his patriotism, his times, his mentor, his wife, his love interest who later became a philosopher in her own right, and last but not least: his own philosophy. All was beautifully woven into an interesting story. I commend the author for trying to communicate the difficult concepts within Heidegger's philosophy. Valiant attempt. This is my favorite "in 90 minutes" so far (out of 5 so far).

Great review for 90 minutes

In this brief audiobook you get a good rundown of his main thoughts placed within the context of his personal life and relationships. Don’t know what else you could want in 90 minutes.

In 90 Minutes Series overview

If you could sum up Heidegger in 90 Minutes in three words, what would they be?
aka Cliff Notes

Would you recommend Heidegger in 90 Minutes to your friends? Why or why not?
Yes - I've listened to each book in the series about a major philosopher that is available on Audible. Strathern's books don't have the analytical depth found in Will Durant's "The Story of Philosophy" books, but he does a good job summarizing each philosopher's biography, major philosophical points, and criticisms. Additionally, Strathern's breadth is broader than Durant's in that he covers a greater number of philosophers. I believe that the time spent listening to these books has been well-spent.

My reviews for each book in the series about a philosopher are identical.

What about Robert Whitfield’s performance did you like?
Voice is clear, well-modulated, and easily understood, even at 1 1/2 speed.

A great read!

It’s hard to think of a better way to explain giant thinkers in 90minutes. Perhaps Stephen West has a different approach to this endeavor but the series provide rather helpful chronology at the end of each read which reinforces the learning via reminding us of the context within which the thought was born, evolved and passed on to the next generation of thinkers.

The reader and the wit of the author work well together to create an engaging listening experience.

This series is fantastic for those of us looking for an overview of various philosophical writers and there works. It also serves as a compass when we feel brave enough to dive into the full works. Very enjoyable to listen to.

Debunking Heidegger’s Gibberish in 90 Minutes

What did the German metaphysical philosopher believe? What did he write in “Being and Time”? What did Heidegger say in his 1933 Inaugural Speech as University Rector? What did Heidegger do during the Nazi era? How did he justify his Nazi party membership- 1927 until 1945 - in the postwar era? What were Heidegger’s relationships with philosophers with a Jewish background? How did Carl Jung assess Heidegger’s philosophical work?

Listen to this concise analysis that systematically deconstructs Heidegger’s status. Locating the controversial German philosopher in the context of his time, the author Paul Strathern exposes the empirical facts and material actions of this influential, narcissistic philosopher.. Bravo!

I wish I had read this book as an undergraduate philosophy student forced to read Heidegger. We can waste too much precious time studying insane ideologies and treating gibberish with surplus respect. Respect your own time; listen to this audiobook before opening “Being and Time”!

permission to hats Hedideger

The magic of this book is that it gives you permission to hate Heidegger without having to get a ph.d. in philosophy.

A waste of money.

It is more of a biography of Heidegger and I seriously doubt with the listener will understand what Heidegger was saying. I wish I could get my money back. $3.50 from