Abstract

In the summer semester of 1931, Heidegger taught a lecture course entitled, "Interpretations of Ancient Philosophy," at the University of Freiburg. The edited version of Heidegger's manuscript for the course was published as volume 33 of the Martin Heidegger Gesamtausgabe in 1981 and is now available in an English translation that includes the original editor's epilogue and a brief foreward by the translators. The course covers the first three chapters of Book IX of Aristotle's Metaphysics. Within the general discussion of force or capability and actuality throughout Book IX, the three opening chapters deal with force understood as movement in its essence and actualization. Heidegger undertakes a close reading of Aristotle's text and proceeds by way of a sentence-by-sentence translation and commentary of the Greek original. Moreover, the citations, translations, and interpretations are not limited to the portion of the text under review but include relevant passages from other chapters and books of the Metaphysics as well. The text of the Metaphysics cited is that of the edition by W. Christ, first published in 1895. Heidegger's textual comments and corrections as well his various addenda are clearly indicated in the Greek text.