Posted: Tuesday 13 December 2011
The importance of being...
Dr Philip Tonner of Hutchesons’ philosophy department has recently had his book “Heidegger, Metaphysics and the Univocity of Being” published in a new paperback edition as part of the Continuum Studies in Continental Philosophy collection. The highly regarded scholastic series is credited with making a major contribution to the field of philosophical research.
In his book Dr Tonner presents an interpretation of the philosophy of Martin Heidegger (1889 –1976), the author of Being and Time, one of the most important philosophical works of the 20th century, in relation to the ‘univocity of being’ a fundamental concept in the work of John Duns Scotus, a Scottish philosopher of prominence from the High Middle Ages.
Dr Tonner, pictured here with the new edition, shares his enthusiasm for his subject and the relevance of philosophical thought in today’s society, saying:
Philosophy gives us the tools to articulate our ideas and beliefs, together with their consequences, so that we may communicate rationally with others about them. This has never been more important than in the current international climate. Ultimately, studying philosophy helps us to make sense of the world and of our place in it: for this reason, philosophy is essential to a wide-ranging education of the whole person.