Martin Heidegger, the Notion of Being: A Reconstruction and Reversal [2508]

General Information

• Credits: 6 ECTS
• Prerequisites: baccalaureate level or equivalent; proficiency in English
• Learning format: asynchronous distance learning – 100% e-learning
• Language of instruction: English
• Course access: available at any time of year
• Disability liaison officer: Cécile Boucherle

Course Overview

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to Martin Heidegger’s philosophy through a study of his central question: the meaning of Being. It examines the historical development of the question of Being from the Pre-Socratics to Heidegger, before exploring key concepts such as Dasein, being-in-the-world, authenticity, temporality, truth (aletheia), language, and the event (Ereignis). The course also analyzes Heidegger’s dialogue with major philosophical traditions, including phenomenology, positivism, existentialism, and deconstruction, highlighting his exchanges with thinkers such as Husserl, Hegel, Sartre, Derrida, Levinas, and Stanley Rosen. Particular attention is given to Heidegger’s reflections on language, history, technology, and the limits of metaphysics, as well as to the critiques his philosophy has inspired. By combining historical context, conceptual analysis, and critical evaluation, the course enables students to understand Heidegger’s enduring contribution to twentieth-century philosophy and the continuing significance of the question of Being for contemporary thought.

Learning Outcomes

This course enables you to:

• Explain the historical evolution of the concept of Being.
  
• Distinguish between metaphysical ontology and Heidegger’s fundamental ontology.
  
• Interpret primary philosophical texts with hermeneutical precision.
  
• Identify Heidegger’s critique of Cartesian subjectivity and modern technological thinking.
  
• Discuss the relationship between language and ontology in Heidegger’s later thought.
  
• Compare Heidegger’s thought with positivism and analytic philosophy.
  
• Engage critically with post-Heideggerian interpretations (Derrida, Levinas, Rosen, etc.).
  
• Construct coherent philosophical arguments regarding existence, temporality, and meaning.

Course Competencies

This course is linked to the following competency:

• Characterise the major currents of contemporary philosophy, from phenomenology to analytic philosophy. 

Course Outline

Section 1: Placing the question of being in a context

Section 2: Heidegger's history of being and the issue of language

Section 3: Heidegger and the positivists on the question of being

Section 4: Deconstruction and reversal of Heidegger's notion of being

Assessment Methods 

Course assessment is based on:

• tracking and completion of the course and of all learning activities. These activities, designed as essential practice and learning exercises, may be completed multiple times and are not factored into the final grade,
• the final assessment quiz, which constitutes the graded evaluation. 

Learning Format

The course is taught entirely online via the MyDomuni platform, accessible 24/7.
Learning resources include:

• written course materials;
• supplementary documents and, depending on the content, video resources;
• interactive learning activities (quizzes, exercises);
• a discussion forum with the course instructor and fellow participants.

Prerequisites

This course is open to anyone with a general level of education equivalent to the baccalaureate, or with personal or academic experience related to the topics covered.

A good command of written French is recommended to facilitate understanding of the content and participation in the activities offered.

Accessibility

The course is accessible at any time, from any internet-connected device, via the MyDomuni platform.
For students with disabilities, specific support can be arranged upon request to ensure equitable access to course content and activities.

Disability liaison officer: cecile.boucherle@domuni.eu.

Selective Bibliography

• Martin Heidegger, Being and Time, translated by John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson. Oxford, Blackwell, 1962. 
• Martin Heidegge, An Introduction to Metaphysics, translated by Ralph Manheim. New Haven, Yale University Press, 1959. 
• Edmund Husserl, Cartesian Meditations, Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1993.
• Hubert L. Dreyfus, Being-in-the-World: A Commentary on Heidegger's Being and Time, Division I. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press, 1991. 
• Theodore Kisiel, The Genesis of Heidegger's Being and Time, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1993.