Make It Yours – See Your Price On Amazon!
Your Sales Price $17.99 - $13.59
A quick rundown of this product’s key features:
As relevant now as ever before, this accessible collection is an essential landmark in the philosophy of science from “one of the most profound thinkers of the twentieth century” (New York Times).
The advent of machine technology has given rise to some of the deepest problems of modern thought. Featuring the celebrated essay “The Question Concerning Technology,” this prescient volume contains Martin Heidegger’s groundbreaking investigation into the pervasive “enframing” character of our understanding of ourselves and the world.
Our Top Reviews
Reviewer: Rdngtvty
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: (Table of Contents explained.) This is an excellent volume about science, nihilism, history, and technology.
Review: A previous reviewer has lamented that the Amazon page fails to inform you which “Other Essays” are included in the volume. So to begin my brief review, here is the table of contents, which is broken up into three “parts” (after a nice “Introduction” by the editors):Part 1: “The Question Concerning Technology”; and “The Turning”Part 2: “The Word of Nietzsche: God is Dead”Part 3: “The Age of the World Picture”; and “Science and Reflection”The major question I originally had while looking at this table of contents is: “What could possibly unite such thematically different essays?” The two essays in Part 1 fit together, because they’re both about technology; Part 2 is one essay about Nietzsche; and the two essays in Part 3 fit together, because they’re both about science and Heidegger’s concept of “worlds”. But what makes the three parts fit together?There are some themes that run throughout this volume, especially history, nihilism, and the huge joint theme of science and technology. All of these essays can be seen as elucidations of Heidegger’s central doctrine that we live within “the world’s night.” Part 1 explains how the tides of technology, which turns nature into the standing reserve, transforms modern man in a dangerous way (the phenomenon of “Enframing”). Part 2 then considers Nietzsche’s bold attempts to get at the themes of Part 1, so now we look at the tides of technology in terms of nihilism, which is the culmination of the unfolding of the history of metaphysics. Then Part 3 takes all of this together while focusing specifically on modern technological science. The essays certainly work well together, and the editors clearly put a lot of thought into their ordering.At 182 pages, this is a fairly short book. However, these pages are incredibly rich with content and insight, and if you are anything like me, you will reread these pages again and again. For years on end. The first essay in each of the three parts are classics for good reason, and the shorter essays which follow them help both to clarify the meaning of the classic essays, and also to spell out some of the implications of the classic essays.I can’t speak to the accuracy of the translations because I have never studied the corresponding German texts, but the English prose reads extraordinarily clearly (at least, clearly *for Heidegger,* who is a notoriously complex and subtle writer). Because of the sharp focus of this volume, I would recommend it as a general introduction to Heidegger’s thought for those who haven’t read him before. I would even recommend reading this before you read the “Basic Writings” or “Being and Time.” But after you finish reading this, you will definitely want to see what “Being and Time” was all about. (I should also mention that this volume would be a great syllabus inclusion in courses on the ethics of technology, the philosophy of science, the philosophy of history, existentialism, or even straight-up ethics.)Finally, the volume “Poetry, Language, Thought” can be read almost like a direct sequel to “The Question Concerning Technology and Other Essays.” The poetry essays directly respond to the problem of Enframing, and they take up the suggestion at the end of “The Question Concerning Technology” that poetry might be the “saving power” which will save us from the dangers of technology. So “Poetry, Language, Thought” is highly recommended for those who manage to finish this book and are left wondering, as I was: What should we positively do with such apparently pessimistic and nihilistic conclusions about the direction we are heading? And if you want to understand a bit of the background behind this book, the two best things to read are (A) Nietzsche’s works, of course, but also (B) Husserl’s “The Crisis of European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology,” where deals with many of Heidegger’s themes, as the “crisis of science” in the title indicates.In sum, this is an amazing book for those who wish to understand the current state of the world. It is deeply challenging, but it is also the best introduction to Heidegger’s thought and themes for those who can stomach the slow pace of reading which these essays will demand of you.
Reviewer: Sarah
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Interesting
Review: Interesting topic by Heidegger
Reviewer: DClish
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Arrived quickly in great condition
Review: Very pleased with the quick delivery and the excellent condition of the book. I will definitely keep buying from this seller. Excellent job all around. Packed perfectly to withstand shipping.
Reviewer: RAD
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Dr. Heidegger in this write refers some time ago …
Review: Dr. Heidegger in this write refers some time ago, to our current 2017 technological times and human’s reducing role. Dr. Wittgenstein soon afterwards had cautioned philosophy’s coming demise… and Dr. Fukuyama explains the end of history. each perspective expands on what the Old Hermit from Sils – Maria explained to a revelation of all values; and for the detractors it’s time to poorly paraphrase George Carlin, ” nobody has to accept nor believe anything about anyone.”
Reviewer: Putzmanmusing
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good insights
Review: in our age of autonomous technology looking at tech from a philosophers perspective is good
Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Heidegger’s crowning work!
Review: This is Heidegger’s crowning work in which he applies his metaphysics to modern day technology. Replacing his earlier description of the ready to hand, Heidegger uses Aristotle’s notion of causation, which for Heidegger is a type of bringing into being, i.e. articulating in the material world something as present in and of itself both together and different. In doing so, Heidegger rethinks technology and (in my mind) and creates the philosophic foundation of Thomas Kuhn’s work the Structure of Scientific Thought..
Reviewer: Inessa
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Terrible Kindle edition
Review: This may be one of the worst reading experiences I have ever had. The kindle text is just all over the place and looks as a hallucination
Reviewer: Elena
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Where’s the info
Review: This is possibly the worst listed text I’ve ever seen. I can’t find the translator’s name anywhere, nor the names of any of the ‘other essays.’
Reviewer: J
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This book is excellent in helping me in my research. As usual Martin Heidegger is provocative in his thinking.
Reviewer: Andrew G Ede
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Heidegger is not actually talking about technology, so don’t be fooled into thinking that one of the most famous philosophers has taken on this complex topic. Like much of Heidegger’s work, he is actually talking about language and thinking about how we understand philosophical concepts. The translators add some important discussions about Heidegger’s use of certain German terms that a) don’t translate easily into English and b) he uses in atypical ways even in German. In equal parts brilliant and obscure. He wanders into some philosophical dead ends, but if you are looking for some interesting philosophical ideas to wrestle with, this is a good book.
Reviewer: Chris X
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A masterpiece that looks into the question of how technology will affect our humanity, very important for our time.
Reviewer: Kleio
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Quick shipping, great book
Price effective as of Mar 24, 2025 10:08:09 UTC
As an Amazon Associate Dealors may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
