HANS-GEORG GADAMER: A BIOGRAPHY

New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2003. First Edition. First Printing.. Hardcover. As New/As New Dust Jacket.. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2003. Hardcover. As New/As New. First Edition/First Printing. 478 pages. Landmark biography on subject. One of the finest intellectual biographies of our time. The first appearance of the title in the United States. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original by a University Press. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents Jean Grondin's "Hans-Georg Gadamer" in a felicitous English translation. The very first full-length biography on Gadamer. "One of the greatest philosophers of our era. He was also at the center of some of the century's darkest, most complex historical events, for he chose to remain in his native Germany in the 1930's, neither supporting Hitler nor actively opposing him, but negotiating instead an un-political position that allowed him to continue his philosophical work. In this magisterial book, Jean Grondin appraises Gadamer's life and achievement. Drawing on countless interviews with Gadamer and his contemporaries, Gadamer's personal correspondence, and extensive archival research, Grondin traces Gadamer's life as an academician and the development of his ideas, placing them in the context of his times. He sheds light on the genesis and accomplishment of Gadamer's major opus, 'Truth And Method', the bible of modern-day hermeneutics. And he addresses the question of Gadamer's attitude and actions amid the catastrophe of Nazi Germany, painting a balanced portrait of a scholar who tried to preserve German culture and tradition in the face of an invasive menace" (Publisher's blurb) . One of the best introductions to the work of possibly the greatest philosopher of the 20th century since Martin Heidegger. Some would go so far as to say that while Heidegger was profoundly original, it was Gadamer, who lived to be 102, who achieved true wisdom. An absolute "must-have" title for Hans-Georg Gadamer collectors. This title is a modern classic. This is one of few copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing (American) still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws, are subsequent printings, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A scarce copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with vintage photographs from the subject's personal archives. One of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER HANS-GEORG GADAMER TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 0300098413.