Heidegger's Philosophy and Theories of the Self

The aim of this volume is to examine a number of different theories of the self explicitly set out in, or implied by, the work of Descartes, Hume, Kant, Max Stirner, Heidegger, Sartre, and R.D. Laing. The seven theorists are divided into two camps representing two distinctly different schools of thought. The first group, which includes Descartes, Hume, Kant, Sartre and Stirner, represents a tradition that has dominated western philosophy since Descartes, and the author argues that, although these five differ in many ways, they share certain approaches and a dualism that critically influences their theories of the self. The second group, which comprises Heidegger and Laing, represents a radical departure from the tradition and a rejection of the approach shared by its members, and consequently a very different understanding of selfhood.