Heidegger on Language and Death: The Intrinsic Connection in Human Existence

Martin Heidegger was one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. His analysis of human existence proves an inexhaustible ground for thinkers of all backgrounds who seek answers for their specific questions left open or opened up by our times. This book explores the intrinsic connection between two fundamentally human traits, language and death. Heidegger addresses each of these traits in depth, without ever explicitly outlining their relationship in a separate theory. However, in a close examination of Heidegger's magnum opus, Being and Time, Joachim L. Oberst uncovers a connection in three basic steps. Ultimately the author argues that the human invention of language is motivated by the drive towards immortality - language emerges from the experience of mortality as a response to it. This is a refreshing look at one of the most challenging and influential philosophers of our times.

Martin Heidegger was one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. His analysis of human existence proves an inexhaustible ground for thinkers of all backgrounds who seek answers for their specific questions left open or opened up by our times. This book explores the intrinsic connection between two fundamentally human traits, language and death. Heidegger addresses each of these traits in depth, without ever explicitly outlining their relationship in a separate theory. However, in a close examination of Heidegger's magnum opus, Being and Time, Joachim L. Oberst uncovers a connection in three basic steps. Ultimately the author argues that the human invention of language is motivated by the drive towards immortality - language emerges from the experience of mortality as a response to it. This is a refreshing look at one of the most challenging and influential philosophers of our times.

1. Introduction: Death's Impact on Existence in and as LanguagePart I: Subjectivity and Selfhood in Heidegger's Being and Time2. The Question of Authenticity and Inauthenticity Revisited3. The Concept of 'Authentic Mitsein' in Heidegger's Being and Time4. The Meaning of Heidegger's Concept of Death in Being and TimePart II: The Existential Nature and Ontological Origin of Language According to Heidegger's Being and Time5. Martin Heidegger on the Origin of Language in Being and Time6. The Legacy of Herder in Heidegger's Language Origin Theory7. Birth of Language as Language of DeathPart III: Hegel, Benjamin and the Case for Heidegger's Linguistic Ontology8. Heidegger's Hegel: The Linguistic Awakening of Spirit in the Presence of Death9. Walter Benjamin: An Unacknowledged Predecessor of Martin Heidegger10. Conclusion: Heidegger's Parmenides