Heidegger on Truth and Myth

Book excerpt: Truth and myth are predominant themes in Martin Heidegger's thinking. Heidegger showed that ancient Greek understanding of truth as aletheia («unconcealment») can teach us about learning from the wisdom that is found in myths and can also enhance human existence. This book describes some of Heidegger's major insights concerning truth as aletheia and their implications. It also shows how Heidegger's thinking on truth discloses the shallowness and the disrespect for truth in the writings of four well-known postmodernist writers: Lyotard, MacIntyre, Rorty, and Derrida.