This book explores a popular topic in Continental Philosophy - this is a very active area of research, one that students often encounter at upper-undergraduate/postgraduate level.In Heidegger's "Early Philosophy", James Luchte sets forth a comprehensive examination of Heidegger's phenomenology between 1924 and 1929, during which time Heidegger was largely concerned with a radical temporalization of thought. The book seeks to reconstruct Heidegger's radical phenomenology through an interpretation of all his published and unpublished works of the period, including the 1920s lecture courses and his published works, "Kant and the Problem of Metaphysics" and his magnum opus, "Being and Time". The book also explores Heidegger's relationship with other philosophers, such as Husserl, Kant and Leibniz, with respect to the question of the relationship of thought and temporality.The book addresses a significant void in the treatment of Heidegger's early phenomenology, emphasizing the importance of Heidegger's lecture courses and other works besides "Being and Time", and thereby investigates the many fragments of Heidegger's work so as to more fully comprehend the meaning and significance of the original project. James Luchte makes an extraordinary and hugely important contribution to the field of Heidegger Studies.

Early Greek Thought calls into question a longstanding mythology - operative in both the Analytic and Continental traditions - that the 'Pre-Socratics had the grandiose audacity to break with all traditional forms of knowledge' (Badiou). Each of the variants of this mythology is dismantled in an attempt to not only retrieve an 'indigenous' interpretation of early Greek thought, but also to expose the mythological character of our own contemporary meta-narratives regarding the 'origins' of 'Western', 'Occidental' philosophy. Using an original hermeneutical approach, James Luchte excavates the context ofemergence of early Greek thought through an exploration of the mytho-poetic horizons of the archaic world, in relation to which, as Plato testifies, the Greeks were merely 'children'. Luchte discloses 'philosophy in the tragic age' as a creative response to a 'contestation' of mytho-poetic narratives and 'ways of being'. The tragic character of early Greek thought is unfolded through a cultivation of a conversation between its basic thinkers, one which would remain incomprehensible, with Bataille, in the 'absence of myth' and the exile of poetry.

This is the first complete English translation of Nietzsche's poetry. "The Peacock and the Buffalo" presents the first complete English translation of the poetry of the celebrated and hugely influential German thinker, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). From his first poems, written at the age of fourteen, to his last extant writings, this definitive bi-lingual edition includes all his 275 poems and aphorisms. Nietzsche's interest in poetry is no secret, as evidenced in his literary and philosophical masterpiece, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", not to mention the poetry included in his published philosophical works. This important collection shows that Nietzsche's commitment to poetry was in fact longstanding and integral to his articulation of the truth and lies of human existence. "The Peacock and the Buffalo" is a must-read for anyone with an interest in German literature or European philosophy.

This is a collection of essays from an international team of leading Nietzsche scholars examining arguably his most important work.Nietzsche famously regarded "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" as his greatest work. However, despite Nietzsche's pervasive influence upon the philosopher and non-philosopher alike, and his own intense regard for Zarathustra, there has been relatively little serious study of Nietzsche's magnum opus.This book seeks to address this gap in the available literature by taking "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" seriously, not only with respect to its impact on the interpretation of Nietzsche's philosophy, but also in light of the broader questions of the relationships between poetry, philosophy and existence. Fifteen leading Nietzsche scholars examine the structure, method, style and sources of "Zarathustra" as a philosophical text and its relationship to methodological and metaphilosophical questions amid the broader discussions of philosophy. The book also explores the implications of the philosophical questioning, interventions and teachings of "Zarathustra" with respect to both its negative engagement with the tradition and its attempt to set forth something new under the sun in its affirmative overcoming of nihilism.

Continuum's Reader's Guides are clear, concise and accessible introductions to classic works of philosophy. Each book explores the major themes, historical and philosophical context and key passages of a major philosophical text, guiding the reader toward a thorough understanding of often demanding material. Ideal for undergraduate students, the guides provide an essential resource for anyone who needs to get to grips with a philosophical text.Kant's Critique of Pure Reason is arguably the most important work of philosophy of the last two centuries. It is a classic text that is encountered by virtually every student of philosophy. As such, this is a hugely important and exciting, yet notoriously challenging, piece of philosophical writing. In Kant's 'Critique of Pure Reason': A Reader's Guide, James Luchte offers a clear and thorough account of this key philosophical work. The book offers a detailed review of the key themes and a lucid commentary that will enable readers to rapidly navigate the text. Geared towards the specific requirements of students who need to reach a sound understanding of the text as a whole, the guide explores the complex and important ideas inherent in the text and provides a cogent survey of the reception and influence of Kant's hugely important work.

This volume brings Continental philosophical interpretations of Van Gogh into dialogue with one another to explore how for Van Gogh, art places human beings in their world, and yet in other ways displaces them, not allowing them to belong to that world.

The mythical narrative of transmigration tells the story of myriad wandering souls, each migrating from body to body along a path of recurrence amid the becoming of the All.
In this highly original study, James Luchte explores the ways in which the concept of transmigration is a central motif in Pythagoras' philosophy, representing its fundamental meaning. Luchte argues that the many strands of the tale of transmigration come together in the Pythagorean philosophical movement, revealing a unity in which, for Pythagoreans, existence and eschatology are separated only by forgetfulness. Such an interpretation that seeks to retrieve the unity of Pythagorean thought goes against the grain of a long-standing tradition of interpretation that projects upon Pythagoras the segregation of 'mysticism' and 'science'. Luchte lays out an alternative interpretation of Pythagorean philosophy as magical in the sense that it orchestrates a holistic harmonization of theoria and praxis and through this reading discloses the radical character of Pythagorean philosophy.

This volume brings Continental philosophical interpretations of Van Gogh into dialogue with one another to explore how for Van Gogh, art places human beings in their world, and yet in other ways displaces them, not allowing them to belong to that world.

Mortal Thought seeks to illustrate the artistic and philosophical contexts for Hoelderlin's poetic thought and to trace his profound impact upon subsequent philosophy, most notably Nietzsche, the Frankfurt School, Heidegger and Post-structuralism. Beginning with the point of departure of Hoelderlin in Kant and Fichte, Mortal Thought outlines the novel philosophical innovations of Hoelderlin, and their influence upon philosophy from the 19th century to the present day. A renewed appreciation of Hoelderlin will allow us to retrieve an authentic philosophy for our own era. Mortal Thought lays out a concise, clear and comprehensive account of the emergence of Hoelderlin as philosopher and poet, of his influence upon the four dominant strands of Continental philosophy - Nietzsche, Heidegger, Critical Theory and Poet-structuralism - and of his relevance for us in our own era.

Mortal Thought seeks to illustrate the artistic and philosophical contexts for Hoelderlin's poetic thought and to trace his profound impact upon subsequent philosophy, most notably Nietzsche, the Frankfurt School, Heidegger and Post-structuralism. Beginning with the point of departure of Hoelderlin in Kant and Fichte, Mortal Thought outlines the novel philosophical innovations of Hoelderlin, and their influence upon philosophy from the 19th century to the present day. A renewed appreciation of Hoelderlin will allow us to retrieve an authentic philosophy for our own era. Mortal Thought lays out a concise, clear and comprehensive account of the emergence of Hoelderlin as philosopher and poet, of his influence upon the four dominant strands of Continental philosophy - Nietzsche, Heidegger, Critical Theory and Poet-structuralism - and of his relevance for us in our own era.

From the re-incarnation of a Dadaist Poet fixated on an Edwardian Pornographic photo to the end of British Civilisation in an Apocalyptic Earthquake, this novel sprawls across the devastated landscape of the 'teens of this century. The seedy underworld and the seedy overworld clash in a kaleidoscope of sex and violence leaving only the 'feral children' to make their own world from the wreckage.

Early Greek Thought calls into question a longstanding mythology - operative in both the Analytic and Continental traditions - that the 'Pre-Socratics had the grandiose audacity to break with all traditional forms of knowledge' (Badiou). Each of the variants of this mythology is dismantled in an attempt to not only retrieve an 'indigenous' interpretation of early Greek thought, but also to expose the mythological character of our own contemporary meta-narratives regarding the 'origins' of 'Western', 'Occidental' philosophy. Using an original hermeneutical approach, James Luchte excavates the context of emergence of early Greek thought through an exploration of the mytho-poetic horizons of the archaic world, in relation to which, as Plato testifies, the Greeks were merely 'children'. Luchte discloses 'philosophy in the tragic age' as a creative response to a 'contestation' of mytho-poetic narratives and 'ways of being'. The tragic character of early Greek thought is unfolded through a cultivation of a conversation between its basic thinkers, one which would remain incomprehensible, with Bataille, in the 'absence of myth' and the exile of poetry.

The mythical narrative of transmigration tells the story of myriad wandering souls, each migrating from body to body along a path of recurrence amid the becoming of the All. In this highly original study, James Luchte explores the ways in which the concept of transmigration is a central motif in Pythagoras' philosophy, representing its fundamental meaning. Luchte argues that the many strands of the tale of transmigration come together in the Pythagorean philosophical movement, revealing a unity in which, for Pythagoreans, existence and eschatology are separated only by forgetfulness. Such an interpretation that seeks to retrieve the unity of Pythagorean thought goes against the grain of a long-standing tradition of interpretation that projects upon Pythagoras the segregation of 'mysticism' and 'science'. Luchte lays out an alternative interpretation of Pythagorean philosophy as magical in the sense that it orchestrates a holistic harmonization of theoria and praxis and through this reading discloses the radical character of Pythagorean philosophy.

Nietzsche famously regarded Thus Spoke Zarathustra as his greatest work. However, despite Nietzsche's pervasive influence upon the philosopher and non-philosopher alike, and his own intense regard for Zarathustra, there has been relatively little serious study of Nietzsche's magnum opus. This book seeks to address this gap in the available literature by taking Thus Spoke Zarathustra seriously, not only with respect to its impact on the interpretation of Nietzsche's philosophy, but also in light of the broader questions of the relationships between poetry, philosophy and existence. Fifteen leading Nietzsche scholars examine the structure, method, style and sources of Zarathustra as a philosophical text and its relationship to methodological and metaphilosophical questions amid the broader discussions of philosophy. The book also explores the implications of the philosophical questioning, interventions and teachings of Zarathustra with respect to both its negative engagement with the tradition and its attempt to set forth something new under the sun in its affirmative overcoming of nihilism.

In Heidegger's Early Philosophy, James Luchte sets forth a comprehensive examination of Heidegger's phenomenology between 1924 and 1929, during which time Heidegger was largely concerned with a radical temporalization of thought. The book seeks to re-construct Heidegger's radical phenomenology through an interpretation of all his published and unpublished works of the period, including the 1920s lecture courses and his published works, Kant and the Problem of Metaphysics and his magnum opus, Being and Time. The book also explores Heidegger's relationship with other philosophers, such as Husserl, Kant and Leibniz, with respect to the question of the relationship of thought and temporality. The book addresses a significant void in the treatment of Heidegger's early phenomenology, emphasizing the importance of Heidegger's lecture courses and other works besides Being and Time, and thereby investigates the many fragments of Heidegger's work so as to more fully comprehend the meaning and significance of the original project. James Luchte makes an extraordinary and hugely important contribution to the field of Heidegger Studies.

Continuum's Reader's Guides are clear, concise and accessible introductions to classic works of philosophy. Each book explores the major themes, historical and philosophical context and key passages of a major philosophical text, guiding the reader toward a thorough understanding of often demanding material. Ideal for undergraduate students, the guides provide an essential resource for anyone who needs to get to grips with a philosophical text.Kant's Critique of Pure Reason is arguably the most important work of philosophy of the last two centuries. It is a classic text that is encountered by virtually every student of philosophy. As such, this is a hugely important and exciting, yet notoriously challenging, piece of philosophical writing. In Kant's 'Critique of Pure Reason': A Reader's Guide, James Luchte offers a clear and thorough account of this key philosophical work. The book offers a detailed review of the key themes and a lucid commentary that will enable readers to rapidly navigate the text. Geared towards the specific requirements of students who need to reach a sound understanding of the text as a whole, the guide explores the complex and important ideas inherent in the text and provides a cogent survey of the reception and influence of Kant's hugely important work.