I love Heidegger quote: "The second you are born you are old enough to die."

You owe me 11 more seconds of Heidegger info

Hi Eric, I'd really like to say this a fantastic introduction into Heidegger. I'm actually really surprised and impressed how you've managed to condense some notoriously difficult concepts, that many professors have difficulty describing over the course of a term or a year, into 12 minutes without losing too much of the essence of Heidegger's thought. Bravo!

"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.” - Henry David Thoreau

This is what happens when teachers understand their stuff, and see their sole purpose in passing it on to as many people as possible - without the need to hide behind terminology, complicated sentence structures, obscure diagrams, or fancy images. I wish we had teachers like you here in Germany, Eric. And I wish I could have sat in one of your classes. Keep on keep'n on, Eric.

Watched at 2x speed. I got Heidegger in 6 minutes.

6:50 Into this house we're born Into this world we're thrown Like a dog without a bone An actor out on loan Riders on the storm

Wow. The thoughts here are highly-organized and well-explained. You made Heidegger much more easier to understand. Thanks.

This has been the most helpful explanation of Heidegger that I have come across so far. I have not gotten farther than the intro to Being and Time, but this makes me want to keep reading. Thank you!

I watch this video every morning as soon as I wake up. May God bless you Prof Dodson!

ThankYou for this introduction. I've read 'Being and Time' & referred a friend to this video for a good launchpad into Heidegger's work!

Wah, this video is superior to the School of Life one. Good job!

You have provided an excellent summary! Thank you: of course, if one's interested, one should look further into Heiddeger's "Time and Being" to see his own dead end alley regarding being. Heiddeger's problem (which he could never overcome) was trying to tackle the question of Being through highly analytical thought (very much those cathedrals of words in the German tradition, and grandiose metaphysical system-building one finds in Kant, Hegel, Schopengauer, etc.) that made great use of entomology (i.e. Greek roots of words and his approach toward the Pre-Socratic philosophers). Being (dasein) is our default setting and consciousness is entangled with it: it is, whether we can verbalize it or not, the very thing we are experiencing all the time. If philosophy is born out of wonderment, poetry (this includes our myth making and religious stories) is the deepest expression of Dasein and the end of the line regarding the scope of man's verbal and imaginative capacity. The Indian Vedas (and the yogic traditions they inspired, including Buddhism) handle the problem of being in terms of enlightenment: that state which goes beyond all thought (and Heiddeger's difficulty is that he's always grounded in words and concepts and is thus the dog chasing it's own tail) and is the experience of pure consciousness: this is known as Advaita non-dualism. I would suggest to anyone interested Ramana Maharishi's "Who am I?" Heiddeger should have read it. The Indians by dealing only with the subject's direct experience and a state of no-thought were able to overcome a problem (centuries before) Heiddeger approached unsuccessfully through analytical thinking which he finally abbandoned (Time and Being is unfinished) by realizing that poetry was the next step up but hardly the last step (which is purely experiential). The Vedas are humanity's best attempt to deal with being and consciousness because they point to direct experience (and lead to Being exactly as the "Nameless" - Netineti, in Sanskrit) rather than the laborious, endless and fatiguing mental and word juggling and mazes of German philosophy. Wittgenstein too had the right idea: that about which we can say nothing, we should be silent. In the Vedas, that silence is exactly the emblem of an experience unconveyable through words and concepts. It is Dasein only suggested or evoked through the highest poetry (this Heiddeger got right). And as K.V. Raghupathi, a wonderful current Indian yogi poet states in a verse from his long poem "Desert Blooms": "No, man is not completed in death." Sorry, Herr Doktor!

Such an excellent introduction. The flowing way you link concepts simplifies the subject brilliantly without losing any essence of the ideas. Thank you! I'm very excited to find your videos.

It's been some years since this video was published, but I just watching it now I really would like to thank you for this master piece. By far the best summary of Heidegger I've seen so far.

Love this video. So relevant in all ways. I had a life perspective shift in 2013 after almost dying due to a perfect storm of rare illness. I gained a weird sort of clarity & lost the anxiety I experienced/suffered for the majority of my life prior. Sort of like...”what was I worried about that stuff for?”. Fantastic content on your channel. I only recently discovered you. Spend a lot of time catching up on the content. Thank you.

Excellent!...Clear and articulate intro to Heidegger... whom is considered by most to be incomprehensible! Bravo!

Always struggled to get a good grip on Heidegger. This is one of the best breakdowns I found on him so far!! Great video!

I really enjoyed your lucid summary and use of imagery to reinforce Heidegger's metaphors and analogues. You managed to make much of his thinking simple without it becoming simplistic. Thank you. I hope it encourages others to begin studying his work and thinking about its implications for living in worthwhile ways (and maybe saving the human life on the planet to boot).

Possibly the best "summary" video I have ever seen. Thank you!

My goodness... participated of course... I've just discovered the treasure trove of genius you lay out before us so graciously in a collection of videios. A simple thank you seems so insuffient, but it is heartfelt and an irresistible movement of the spirit of gratitude. Thank you.

Such a great video! Some of those pics are spectacular 👌🏾. Thank you deeply from my superficial heart to yours

A clear articulation of a difficult subject. Thank you Eric!

I guess it wasn't a smart idea to go discover Heidegger at 3am after only having 5 hours of sleep today. But I see some extremely useful insights and wisdom coming from him, that I can make use..as soon as I sleep and manage to actually grasp them. I did watch another video which didn't illustrate and "decipher the message" as well as yours did, and even with my minimal cognitive capability I managed to get the overall idea. All that, just to say "thanks for another great video!" :)

i was just listening to audio as the images distracted me... amazing, loved it.

I saw the title of this video and I was like, "yeah right?!" but I must say, you did a damn good job! I've been hitting the books hard, trying to get an overview of H., and you come along and do the thing I was trying to do! With cartoons, no less. Nice job.

Dr. Dodson... I miss you and W. GA Psychology!!! Thanks for all you do.

Excellent. I am super impressed how you have managed to explain so many difficult concepts so well in such a short amount of time.

Thank you Eric! I now understand Heidegger much more than I did previously. It certainly makes one question ones own authenticity.

Video should be called "Being and Time summary in 12 minutes". Heidegger wrote more then one book!

@Eric Dodson thank you so much for putting up these priceless contents on KZfaq It inspires to be read and think which people lack in these technological busy life.

What a fantastic and concise introduction to Heidegger. Thank you very much!

Excellent exposition. Thank you!

This gave me goosebumps. Thank you for such wonderful videos

Beautiful exposition. For what it's worth, I think the serious flaw in his thinking comes in his analysis of imitation and inauthenticity. A great counterpoint is offered by Rene Girard, who shows that imitation is the very way in which human beings are formed and in which relationships and communities are maintained. Heidegger's analysis of care at this level is woefully one-sided and assumes that the only true authenticity is individual and not interpersonal or communal. I would argue, following Girard, that friendship can be a deep expression of authenticity, even though, or perhaps because, it involves imitation of the other. Like Nietzsche, Heidegger seems to be chasing the romantic heroic individual, thus his analysis dismisses other profound forms of authenticity.

This is absolutely great- amazing job! and thank you!!!!

Hi Eric , i'd just like to say along with many others how useful i found this video . I'm right at the beginning of studying existentialism and its application in therapy. It certainly is a fascinating if not daunting subject. However with this video and other input i hope to make some inroads. My initial impression is that it is a vital and positive philosophy which has personal and universal applications and insights in this complex and sometimes soulless world.

Thanks for 12 valuable, meaningful minutes!

Ditto: Bravo:) I just sat in on my daughters' class... I was able to catch on because I am familiar with the subject at hand; I know it's going over a lot of students heads! I can't wait for my daughter to listen to the 12 minute video... excellent

Fantastic introduction. Thank you

Very clear presentation!!! Great work! I have to point out (as somebody else did in a post below), that all of Heidegger thoughts are already present in Buddhism, Daoism, Vedanta/Advaïta...etc, and that these "philosophies", have the incomparable advantage to join a praxis to the theory. The main difference is thus, that the body has to be trained to feel and examine in silence to grasp the full spectrum of phenomena (in their physicality-senses /perception/emotionality-ideation/base consciousness). A development of the body's awareness is simultaneous to the exploration of ideas that help understanding the underlying reality. Extreme care is given to this strengthening of the body/mind to be able to flush all of fallenness called the "acquired mind", and liberate the authentic "congenital mind" (Daoist terms). The alignment of Xing (form) and Ming (destiny), happens both in the moment, and in an ever evolving refinement (the art of change). The person who achieve his true potential is called a True person (Zhen Ren)...a person who has achieved the authenticity of being-ness beyond all the dualisms... This constant transformation that returns us to the natural, (uncontrived by inherited/familial and societal conditionings), is the both goal and the path. Stilling oneself in silence, relaxing and listening, to be....

excellent video. you explain such difficult comcepts with such ease

Amazing video...to the point... understandable....yet solid detail too. NOT reductive. I learned from so much...and in 30 min (has to stop and think a few tines). Saved me so much time . Great job. Good detail.

A very useful account of Heidegger's main ideas, which I really appreciated.

thank you, and i believe you've done a fine job in presenting some of the basic tenants of Heidegger's philosophy. I first read "Being and Time" some 50 years ago as a college student, and I still go back to him occasionally. Increasingly I see to what extent his philosophy is quite similar (and probably influenced by) Eastern traditions of Buddhism

Good summary! The only consolation we have for Heidegger's baneful influence upon philosophical discourse is that his influence has not extended appreciably beyond second year grad school.

Nicely done! Thank you.

"Wilson!!" - Tom Hanks

This is a perfect description of Goku. Someone needs to examine Dragon Ball Z from an existential perspective.

Excellent Video, very informative and clear. Keep up the great work!!!!

I like your clear and straight presentation

When Heidegger makes you weep with Joy. Thanks for Be-ing, Eric. Grateful for you🙏🏻

Excellent Eric. Thanks.

Beautiful summary. Congratulations and thanks a lot.

Great video. Thanks.

Excellent introductory video to Heidegger. By all means, no 12 minutes lesson about Heidegger will be 100% complete, but this one gives you that basic understanfing that enables you to comprehend the details on more specific websites

Excellent. Thank you.

I love that you used that image from mad men’s intro!!! S1 Ep10 it’s all about this subject 😆

Bravo. Excellent introduction / summarization of the central themes of Heidegger’s works. Not an easy task by any mean.

Great video, very helpful. Thanks!

This wonderful, informative brief explanation of Heidegger major themes and philosophy are the best 12 minutes one can spend for an introduction to the philosopher himself.

Great video as always!

One of my favorite books is Irrational Man by William Barrett. He does an excellent analysis of Heidegger. His book The Illusion of Technique is another of my favorites. I recommend both to those interested in Existentialism.

Anyone can achieve their fullest potential, who we are might be predetermined, but the path we follow is always of our own choosing. We should never allow our fears or the expectations of others to set the frontiers of our destiny. Your destiny can't be changed but, it can be challenged. Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one. Martin Heidegger

Dear Eric,having read Being and Time (in the Dutch translation) at the beginning of this year, your video helps me understand the book better. Thanks for this video.

Perfect. Very good introduction. Congratulations!

Thank you very much! You have been extraordinary clear in you explanation!

Great summary, thanks!

Wow. Awesome video and summary.

in my existentialism course work he was the most difficult to comprehend thanks a lot for making his philosophy accessible. .

This is actually the most impressive summary of Heidegger I've ever heard.

At 8:53 it could be understood the other way round. Throwness includes the concepts of history we didn't write

Thank you! Being & Times in simple displayed manner.

Thanks for this. So Heidegger saw one's perception of the world being the only reality worth knowing. So the nature of truth has a lot to do with our perspective, on which perspectives we choose. Our point of view is shaped by how we choose to see the world, and how much one cares about experience, how intensely we experience life, etc. The concept of fallenness is very interesting, how passively are we just receiving life instead of interacting in a vibrant and curious manner. I also plan on reading more about his concept of authenticity and achieving the ideal self. The time to be deeply alive in the moment is now. The fierce urgency of now!

Fantastic video

Brilliant video!

Couldn't help but notice how, in late capitalist advertising, its general message aggressively purports these quasi-Heideggerian truths about living for oneself, living authentically, being all you can be before you die. Essentially, Das Man is literally telling us to seize our authenticity, all while giving us more subtle forms of living inauthenticity. Would be curious to hear people's takes on this...

It was very quality twelve minutes 💃 Thank you!

As someone who has been dancing around Heidegger and his Being and Time , for some time, I find your summary quite excellent. How do you compare his thought with that of Hegel(also notoriously obscure in his writings), who I feel tackled Being and Non-being as well ?

Thanks, this is an excellent breakdown of his philosophy

6:51 "being cast" together with a Wilson volleyball - genius haha

Thank you. Great video.

This is exceptional. I've had a tendency to reduce "authenticity" to a kind of Rousseuistic "sincerity." Another analogy I've used is the Aristotelian distinction between the "conventional" and the "natural." That is, "nomos" and "phusis." Clearly Heidegger builds upon Aristotle, while destroying him. Or rather the "received" Aristotle. Our embodiment, our socio-economic background--these do shape us. But they do not determine us. Heidegger seems to encourage us to transcend such "environmental factors." That is, if we want to really be free; or, if we really want to do something "original" that is also socially responsible and meaningful. To "dig down deeper into ourselves" might be a Heideggerian approach to our personal lives. As for the man Heidegger, he was, from an early age, literally "stunned" by existence, and thus literally, constantly, WONDERED about it. This aspect of his personality shaped his entire purpose in life. His childlike WONDER. In this sense, he remains an "Aristotelian."

Thank you for this video, it helped me a lot with studying Heidegger. Now I just have to find a way to translate this in italian for my teachers ahah

8:56 "Das Man" could be translated in "The One" -- as in "one has to" / "one can (not)"/ "one should (not)" etc...

Great video, thanks!

Great video! I hate School of Life so I am glad videos like this exist. Keep on doing what you're doing!

Masterful.

Hey mate, these are really good. May I suggest turning them into podcasts too?

Mr Dodson , this was simply terrific. I.. this will sound funny .. found truth (given philosophical and existential logical acknowledgements) in Thomism, the philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas so grounded as you know in Aristotle's moderate realism. I had been told by a philosopher of some substance (forgive the pun) that Aquinas had reduced and obscured being into a propositional object. I thought , and think that criticism far from true, and your excellent .. really excellently presented video has helped me to better understand Heidegger and reinforces my view that he didn't get Plato , or took the medieval philosophical development of Aristotle in some kind of neoplatonic sense. In any case, thank you so much for making our journeys of the mind so beneficial when means to such Aristotelian ends are so beautifully done. We all owe you.

Excellent in every way.

I feel like I've been blessed

Thank you for wonderful video Eric. I had read that between past, present, and future Heidegger considers “future” the most vital as it somehow unfolds or “gives direction” to the present! I wonder if you ever came across something like that?

The Chinese held the umbrella for being away from the sun, not to be ready for raining.

Nice video. Thank you.

Thanks Eric. You're an excellent communicator. The information presented is coherent and includes a clever, witty introduction noting Heidegger's involvement in the German Socialist Party. I will happily subscribe to your channel.

Thanks. Good stuff.

His emphasis on the moment is derived from Buddhism. And the term phenomenolgy denotes impermanence...which is also a pillar of Buddhism. Western philosophy gives us an over view of the human condition, which is largely one of suffering and discontent, (which is also Buddhist..dukha) without a viable solution. Existentialism in general suffers from this lack of remedy. Camus tells us to be happy in spite of our misery, (The Myth Of Sisyphus) which is a paradox that has no solution based in reality. Buddhism tells us that because there is no separation between mind and world, and that most of our misery is due to our language based thought processes, coming to the moment through meditation clears our mind and, this is turn, eases our suffering. Heideggar and the other existentialist didn't go far enough. Analyzing the condition is only the first step. There are so many words and so little wisdom...or comfort. That Heideggar joined the Nazis, not only contradicts the fundamental tenants of existentialism, which places so much emphasis on individual freedom and potential, but it's...bizarre in the extreme. Why did he willingly give up his ability to think for himself in favor of letting the Nazis do his thinking. Was this his way of striving for selflessness? I mean losing himself in the herd? It's weird.... I think the fundamental problem with western philosophy is its reliance on language to try and define that which cannot be put into so many words. Language is not rigorous like mathematics. Words, in and of themselves, are very inexact. One word can point in many directions.

Great video! I've thought it would be impossible to explain Heidegger in 12 minutes but you teached me wrong. Thank, thank you very much! BTW: as a German I prefer to hear and read English explaination of Heidegger because translating Heidegger into German makes things more confusing. But of course, I read Heidegger in German.

Thanks for the enlightenment