Heidegger in 90 Minutes

By: Paul Strathern

Narrated by: Robert Whitfield

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.

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.