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a splendid and wonderful book
What a magnificient analysis full of profound and original insights.This book was done with such exemplary clarity that one need not be a student of philosophy in order to comprehend the ideas that are discussed.I wouldhighly recommend this book to anyone interested in discovering theimportant pathway into the lives and thoughts of the great minds. ... Read more

Book Description
These letters, translated into English here for the first time, provide extraordinary insights, both personal and philosophical, into two major thinkers of the twentieth century.Martin Heidegger and Karl Jaspers met in 1920 at a celebration marking the sixty-first birthday of Edmund Husserl.Recognizing in each other a shared vision of what philosophy should be, they struck up a friendship, which continued through correspondence carried on over four decades and which weathered intellectual, social, and personal struggles.

While the first thirteen years of their acquaintance were marked by a collegial exchange of views on philosophical issues of mutual interest, their relationship changed significantly in 1933, when Heidegger publicly supported the National Socialist revolution, and, as a party member, implemented the National Socialist agenda as rector of Freiburg University.By contrast, Jaspers, whose wife was Jewish, was forced into retirement.After the war, during the Freiburg de-Nazification process, Jaspers sharply criticized Heidegger's conduct but nonetheless stressed the lasting value of his philosophical contributions.Despite this conflict, the two men continued to find common ground and correspnded until 1963.

The letters touch on many points of philosophical interest to both men, yet only hint at the political turmoil that swirled around them.They discuss how they came to see themselves as personally connected but publicly misidentified as "existentialists."There are also many illuminating exchanges concerning Hannah Arendt, Karl Lowith, Max Weber, Edmund Husserl, and others.Editors Walter Biemel and Hans Saner provide a wealth of references and annotations that make these personal letters accessible to contemporary readers.

This first English translation of the correspondence between two giants of twentieth-century German philosophy will be of great interest to philosophers, historians, and anyone intrigued by the Heidegger controversy. ... Read more

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They Were Giants Then
The history of 20th century German philosophy can be neatly summed up in three words: Husserl, Heidegger and Jaspers. They were the giants of the rich philosophical tradition and most of 20the century thought is influenced by them, either as followers who adapted their thought to other paths or as opponents, deriding what was seen as a preponderence of metaphysics over "clear thinking."

The emphasis on Heidegger in recent years has expanded into an investigation of his personal life, intertwined as it was with the Nazi regime during the '30s. We have access to the Arendt-Jaspers correspondence, but only get to know Heidegger second-hand. That is why the release of the Heidegger-Jaspers correspondence is a tresure for every student of philosophy. Not only do we gain valuable insights into the workings of each author's conception of existentialism, but we also get to soak in the atmosphere of German university life, and its view of scholarship, so different from our own universities today, which now serve as little else than extensions of high school.

The letters also give us the opportunity to see how the Heidegger-Japsers friendship fared over the years. (The letters are from 1920 to 1963.) During the '20s, the two are very close and share critiques of each others philosphy. During the '30s, with the rise of the Nazis, we see a cooling off due to the fact Heidegger sides with the Nazis and Jaspers, whose wife was Jewish,was appalled by what was happening to Germany. Very few letters are exchanged during the period from 1936 to 1948, when Heidegger, by now defanged by the Allied occupation, once again ventures into the public eye. The letters of this perios lack the warmth of the letters from the '20s, with Heidegger wishing to forget what happened in the '30s and Jaspers wanting an explanation.

This is an unforgettable foray into the livers anf thought of two giants of twentieth century philosophy, and, as such, is a must for every philosophical library. ... Read more

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Through a Different Lens
This book is a good start if you wish to learn about Spinoza. The fact that it is written by a renowned philosopher certainly adds to its charm. The book is part of a series by the author about individuals he considers to be the great philosophers. His choices are generally good ones.

Jaspers tells you most of what you need to know about Spinoza in a sophisticated but easily comprehensible manner. The only problem with the book is that it is now somewhat old and does not take into account recent work on the subject. There has been a great amount of recent scholarship concerning Spinoza's life and philosophy. In addition, there have been several high-level popular treatments. Steven Nadler and Steven B. Smith have written works which have significantly broadened the field.

The foregoing should not discourage readers from looking into this book. It is a good and useful one, especially if Spinoza is not the reader's principal interest. Nevertheless, if the reader is primarily interested in Spinoza and in the most up-to-date scholarship, he or she should look elsewhere. ... Read more

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Analyzes and critiques Karl Jaspers' philosophy on the atom bomb and its relation to the future of humanity. This work studies the human transformations called for by Jaspers in science, politics, and religion, and develops the limits and possibilities of Jaspers' ideas from the perspective of present nuclear capabilities, contemporary moral discourse, and Christian faith. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Karl (Theodor) Jaspers, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 5094 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author