First published in 1990 as the second part of volume 50 of Heidegger's Complete Works, Introduction to Philosophy presents Heidegger's final lecture course given at the University of Freiburg in 1944 before he was drafted into the German army. While the lecture is incomplete, Heidegger provides a clear and provocative discussion of the relation between philosophy and poetry by analyzing Nietzsche's poetry. Here, Heidegger explores themes such as the home and homelessness, the age of technology, globalization, postmodernity, the philosophy of poetry and language, aesthetics, and the role of philosophy in society. Translated into English for the first time, this text will be of particular interest to those who study Heidegger's politics and political philosophy.

Table of Contents:
Editor's Foreword Translator's Foreword Introduction Introduction to Philosophy as a Guide to Genuine Thinking through the Thinker Nietzsche and the Poet Hölderlin 1. The Impossibility of an Intro-duction to Philosophy 2. The Need for a Guide to Become at Home in Genuine Thinking 3. The Manifold Ways for a Guide to Genuine Thinking. The Question: "What Now Is?" 4. The Consideration of Thinking in its Relation to Poetizing as One of the Ways for a Guide to Genuine Thinking. Nietzsche and Hölderlin 5. The Confrontation with Thinking that Encounters us Historically: Nietzsche's Main and Fundamental Thought Review (First Draft) Chapter 1 The Fundamental Experience and Fundamental Attunement of Nietzsche's Thinking 6. The Godlessness and Worldlessness of the Modern Human as Nietzsche's Fundamental Experience a) The "Creation" of the Gods by Humans b) The Scope of the Thought of the Human as the "Creating One," the "Creative" in the Human c) The "Metaphysical" Ground of the Thought of the Creative Human: The Modern Determination of the Essence of the Human d) Thought in a Greek Way e) The Worldlessness of the Modern Human 7. The Homelessness of the Modern Human as Nietzsche's Fundamental Attunement a) The Loss of the Previous Home in the Anticipating and Searching for the New Home b) Rationality that Merely Calculates and the Forgetting of the Western Historical Determination Chapter 2 The Creation of the New Home Out of the Will to Power 8. The Homeless Ones as the Conquerors and Discoverers of the New Home 9. Nietzsche's Main Thought: The Will to Power as Essenz (Essence) of Beings and as the Final Fact. The Veiled Difference between Being and Beings Thinking and Poetizing Considerations for the Lecture Introduction Thinking and Poetizing: Philosophy and Poetry ( and ) 1. The Comparing of Thinking and Poetizing. Genuine Comparing 2. The Measure-Setting of the Decisive Thinkers and Poets for the Assessment of the Essence of Thinking and Poetizing 3. The Necessity of a Preparation for the Hearing of Thinking and Poetizing 4. Reflection on Thinking and Poetizing and Their Relationship. The Question-Worthy as the Standard for Contemplation Supplements Second Version of the Review: Introduction to Philosophy—Thinking and Poetizing Review of pp. 105ff. (Nietzsche. On the Relationship between Thinking and Poetizing) Second Version of the Manuscript pp. 4–5: On Thinking and Poetizing. Considerations for the Lecture (Preliminary Questions for the Reflection on Thinking and Poetizing) Two Fragmentary Versions of Manuscript p. 12 a) First Fragmentary Version b) Second Fragmentary Version Notes to the Lecture: Introduction to Philosophy—Thinking and Poetizing The Eternal Return of the Same The Will to Power—the Eternal Return of the Same Appendix to Nietzsche's Metaphysics Notes to Nietzsche's Metaphysics Who Is Zarathustra? A Confrontation with Nietzsche Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra Return and Übermensch Eternal Return of the Same and bermensch Zarathustra's Preface Lecture Announcements: Transcriptions and Facsimiles Editor's Afterword