Aengus Daly’s Heidegger’s Metaphysics: The Overturning of ‘Being and Time’ is an analysis of the transitional phase in Martin Heidegger’s philosophical development, particularly in the late 1920s. Daly goes into the transformation of Heidegger’s seminal project in Being and Time into what the philosopher himself began to term the “metaphysics of Dasein.” This book is a chronological account of Heidegger’s thought and a philosophical reconstruction that challenges dominant interpretations and unearths the subtleties of Heidegger’s engagement with metaphysics, transcendence, and the temporality of existence.
The basic thesis of Daly’s work is that Heidegger’s turn to metaphysics does not represent a failure of the project of Being and Time but rather its necessary transformation. Daly argues that this transformation emerges from Heidegger’s grappling with the conditions for revealing the ontological difference—the distinction between beings (entities) and their being (existence)—and the temporal structures that enable this distinction to manifest. Central to this reinterpretation is the claim that Heidegger’s philosophy of this period cannot be reduced to a variant of Kantian transcendental philosophy, as some interpreters contend. Instead, Heidegger’s project critiques and reconfigures the notion of the transcendental itself, seeking a more primordial basis in the existential structure of Dasein (human existence) and its temporal unfolding.
Daly situates Heidegger’s thought within its historical and intellectual context. He examines Heidegger’s interactions with Kantian philosophy, his dialogue with Ernst Cassirer’s analysis of mythical thought, and his critical engagement with Aristotle’s conceptions of being and metaphysics. Heidegger’s metaphysics, Daly contends, aims to retrieve the original insights of metaphysics not as a static system of principles but as a dynamic inquiry into the very conditions of existence and its disclosure. Daly argues that Heidegger’s engagement with metaphysics during this period is neither a regression nor a retreat but an attempt to uncover the temporal and historical foundations of metaphysical thinking.
The book explores a range of underappreciated themes in Heidegger’s thought, such as the temporality of thrownness—a mode of temporal existence that emphasizes the facticity and contingency of Dasein’s being-in-the-world. Daly provides a phenomenological account of how this mode of temporality serves as the foundation for Heidegger’s turn toward the metaphysical-ontic, where the facticity of existence and the strangeness of beings other than oneself become prominent. This shift, according to Daly, does not abandon the insights of Being and Time but reveals a deeper layer of inquiry that was only implicitly present in Heidegger’s earlier work.
Another key theme Daly investigates is the critique of Kantian transcendental philosophy, particularly the notion of the a priori. Heidegger’s analysis problematizes the traditional understanding of the a priori as a fixed, timeless condition for knowledge. Instead, Heidegger explores how the a priori itself is rooted in the temporal structure of Dasein’s existence. Daly highlights how Heidegger’s critique of Kant is part of his broader project to rethink the foundations of philosophical concept formation. This critique involves uncovering the historical and existential origins of philosophical categories and showing how they are shaped by Dasein’s temporality and its openness to the world.
Daly’s discussion of Heidegger’s engagement with mythical thinking and religious concepts is particularly illuminating. He argues that Heidegger’s phenomenology of the mythical world, developed in dialogue with Cassirer, reveals how the temporal structures of existence shape the genesis of cultural and religious concepts. By investigating the primal temporality of myth, Heidegger seeks to uncover the pre-reflective experiences that give rise to symbolic and metaphysical systems. Daly’s analysis demonstrates that this inquiry into myth is not an ancillary concern but central to Heidegger’s attempt to articulate a historicized form of metaphysical inquiry.
The book also addresses the controversial issue of Heidegger’s politics, particularly the relationship between his philosophical project and his later involvement with National Socialism. Daly does not shy away from examining how Heidegger’s language and concepts carry political overtones, such as his emphasis on rootedness, homeland, and the grounding of philosophy in historical and cultural traditions. However, Daly argues for a critical retrieval of Heidegger’s insights, showing how the philosophical resources of his metaphysics can be disentangled from their political misapplications. This retrieval involves emphasizing the existential and temporal dimensions of Heidegger’s thought while critically interrogating the historical and political assumptions that shaped his work.
Daly’s book explores the implications of Heidegger’s metaphysical turn for contemporary philosophy. He argues that Heidegger’s insights into the temporal and historical conditions of being remain a vital resource for rethinking fundamental philosophical questions. He proposes that Heidegger’s approach offers a way to move beyond the dichotomies of metaphysics and anti-metaphysics, transcendental and empirical, while preserving the depth and rigor of philosophical inquiry.
Heidegger’s Metaphysics: The Overturning of ‘Being and Time’ is an erudite and thought-provoking study that combines historical scholarship with systematic philosophical analysis. Daly’s work challenges reductive interpretations of Heidegger and opens up new avenues for understanding the transformative potential of his metaphysical project. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Heidegger’s philosophy, the history of metaphysics, and the ongoing dialogue between phenomenology and transcendental philosophy.
Simon Gros 
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