Read Heidegger's "What is Called Thinking?"

For our next session continue reading What is Called Thinking? This time we will be reading lectures 9-10 of part 1, pages 88-110. The discussion of Nietzsche sharpens to focus on his concept of the eternal return, which Heidegger uses to establish a coherent metaphysical core behind Nietzsche's mature philosophy, including interpretations of the meaning of being, the relation of being to time, and of both to the essence of man.

The full work What is Called Thinking? raises several questions beyond the title one, which hints at the specific meaning Heidegger gives to the term. Early on he gives us the saying "What is most thought provoking in this through provoking age is that we still are not thinking." He presents thinking as a challenge and as a call, not as an obvious or achieved truism that all people attain.

In the second half of the book we hear more of Heidegger's own way of thinking about these matters, after which he returns us to the pre Socratics, this time to Parmenides. The specific saying of Parmenides being considered is "Thinking and Being are the Same" (as usually translated - Heidegger will naturally have his own).

I expect us to spend around 6 sessions on this work overall.

An Amazon link to our main text (WIKT) can be found here -

https://www.amazon.com/Called-Thinking-Harper-Perennial-Thought/dp/006090528X

While familiarity with any of our past sessions on Heidegger would be helpful, there is no hard requirement to join in and read this work with us.

Thus newcomers are entirely welcome; bring your questions.