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Being and Time
- Narrated by: Martyn Swain, Taylor Carman
- Length: 23 hrs and 18 mins
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Being and Time
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Summary
In his lucid introduction to this recording, Professor Taylor Carman declares unequivocally that Being and Time by Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) is ‘one of the great masterpieces of 20th century philosophy.’ And that is despite the fact that it is unquestionably a challenging listen. But by placing it in its historical context - the key work on existentialism between Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) and Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) - it becomes much easier to approach.
As Professor Carman explains, ‘Being and Time addresses a seemingly simple question: What does it mean to be?’ As far as we know, human beings are the only existing things ‘with an understanding of what it is for something to exist’ and, furthermore, are aware of their own existence. Heidegger chose the German word Dasein - existence: literally ‘being there’ - instead of more common expressions such as man, human being, soul, consciousness, etc. And he embarks upon his investigation, considering ‘being there in-the-world, in time (past, present, future); discussing ‘authentic’ and ‘inauthentic’ living and dying; and the acceptance of impermanence. ‘Dasein’s existence is pervaded by a primordial kind of anxiety (Angst)’, Carman remarks, but points out that the concept of care is central to Heidegger’s view: ‘to be a human being is to care about something’.
Being and Time was published in 1927 during the Weimar period in Germany, a time of political, social and economic turmoil. Heidegger himself did not escape the pressures, and his nationalism and undeniable anti-Semitism in the following decades cast a shadow over the man, but not the work. Being and Time is not coloured by expressions of his later views (unlike other writings) and remains an outstanding document.
This recording opens with Professor Carman reading his introduction. Being and Time is read by Martyn Swain.
Translation: John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson.
The contents - showing the plan of the work - and the full text of the introduction are available on a PDF for download with this recording.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our Desktop Site.
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What listeners say about Being and Time
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Adrian J. Smith
- 24-05-21
A landmark text, though inaccessibly difficult
While Being & Time is an essential text within the Phenomenology or Existential (though Heidegger rejected the term) philosophical tradition, the work is for most people a very inaccessible text. Having attempted the book before, I have now cheated and used the audio version, and still feel not much the wiser.
The essential problem is that Heidegger talks in a very circular and verbiose manner which essentially buries the main points under too much elaboration. This coupled with the fact that the original German does not translate well, and one has a work that is incredibly difficult. The best advice for anyone attempting this is to use a guide or an accompanying text, but this in itself may negate the need for reading the text itself.
The basic gist of Heidegger’s argument is that being is constituted by it’s being like properties, for example, a hammer is a hammer because of its hammer like properties and its recognition as a hammer by those cognizant of it. As for human beings, the term used is Da Sein, something that translates as being there, or being in the world. We are essentially thrown into the world, as one does not get a choice of where or when one is born, and by the time one is cognizant, one has no memory of their birth or early years.
The key point is that one is able to project themselves into the future as they are aware of the past and aware of the future, and therefore, time is a series of continual nows. It is the latter that is the most valuable part of Heidegger’s philosophy, at least as far as this reader is concerned.
Essentially, I found the parts about what constituted Being to be essentially confusing or of limited use, but the nature of one’s existence in relation to the past and the future is a valuable building block in the philosophy of Existentialism (regardless of what Heidegger calls it).
There is no doubt that Being and Time a valuable text, a 20th Century Classic, but there is no getting past how difficult and inaccessible it is. Treat this more as a project rather than a quick and easy read, and wherever possible use a guide or a commentary to help you through the text. Indeed, commentaries may be of much use, only dive into the text itself unless one is really determined to conquer it.
The narration by Martyn Swain is very professor like and if anything makes the work seem more serious, but he keeps a decent pace and makes it as digestible as it could possibly be.
The accompanying PDF file is useful and should be referenced by anyone struggling with the book, as most are likely to struggle.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 31-12-22
An must to read
However it is important to say that this book is is a tonguetwister in many parts. Heidegger is not a clear writer. He prefers making knots in the phrases, which I find useless as a style. Despite that, an interesting and contemporary analysis of the cognition and history.
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- D J Hippisley
- 11-07-22
Well read and doable
Read with understanding. Useful to listen to as you read a long with the text.
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- Cameron
- 25-05-20
Swain is G.O.A.T
Being and Time is not an easy read, and its dense prose can be hard to find yourself absorbed in (fallen into, perhaps?), so I'm glad to have this audiobook Ready-to-hand. Swain's voice is clear and enjoyable to listen to, and while I doubt it's possible to absorb much of this text if you just listen to the audiobook on its own, listening as you have the book open in front of you is a good way to stay attentive and focused. The Greek and Latin are translated as they show up, meaning you don't have to flick to the back of the book every couple of minutes, which is a handy bonus. I just got done with Division One, and I can really recommend this to anyone wanting to jump into Heidegger's notoriously difficult magnum opus.
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14 people found this helpful