Speaking of Silence in Heidegger

Wanda Torres Gregory examines Heidegger's notion of silence, arguing that it is a guiding principle in his sparse and reticent words. She distinguishes between human, primordial, and primeval forms of silence and the linguistic, pre-linguistic, and proto-linguistic levels at which it can occur. The book concludes with critical reflections on the later Heidegger's thinking of silence and proposes alternatives to his claims concerning the sound beyond sounds, the metaphysics of mystical silence, the uniquely linguistic essence of mortals, and the loud idle talk in the age of modern technology.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 164 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

In her groundbreaking work, "Speaking of Silence in Heidegger," Wanda Torres Gregory delves into the profound and enigmatic thoughts of Martin Heidegger on silence. Through a meticulous and insightful analysis, she argues that silence about silence serves as a guiding principle in Heidegger's sparse and often reticent words. With a clear trajectory, she traces Heidegger's reflections from his seminal work "Being and Time" to "On the Way to Language," unveiling the evolution of his ideas about silence.

Torres Gregory demonstrates how Heidegger progressively develops his notions of silence in close connection with his evolving ideas of truth, as the unconcealedness of being/beyng and language as disclosive sonorous saying. She distinguishes between different forms of silence, including human, primordial, and primeval, as well as the linguistic, pre-linguistic, and proto-linguistic levels at which silence can occur in relation to sonorous speech. While the book primarily focuses on these inner conceptual dynamics, the author remains attentive to Heidegger's connections to National Socialism and elucidates how his theoretical assumptions can facilitate oppressive silencing.

The book concludes with critical reflections on Heidegger's later thinking of silence and offers alternative perspectives to his claims regarding the sound beyond sounds, the metaphysics of mystical silence, the uniquely linguistic essence of mortals, and the loud idle talk in the age of modern technology. Through her profound exploration, Torres Gregory sheds light on the complexities and multifaceted nature of silence in Heidegger's philosophy, providing a valuable contribution to the study of this crucial topic.

Weight: 268g
Dimension: 231 x 154 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793640055