Time of the Magicians: Wittgenstein, Benjamin, Cassirer, Heidegger, and the Decade that Reinvented Philosophy by Wolfram Eilenberger traces the intertwined lives and intellectual breakthroughs of four towering European thinkers—Wittgenstein, Benjamin, Cassirer, and Heidegger—during the tumultuous decade after World War I. Rather than presenting philosophy as abstract theory, Eilenberger reveals how their personal struggles, relationships, and the social upheaval of the Weimar Republic shaped their revolutionary ideas on language, culture, and existence. The result is a vivid narrative that makes complex philosophy feel like a human drama.
Translated by Shaun Whiteside
Editorial Reviews
“An exemplary work of scholarship that is comprehensible to everyone…Eilenberger’s lucid presentation of his characters’ often hard‑to‑comprehend thinking…make this book invaluable for anyone seeking to learn about these extraordinary figures.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Four intellectuals hash out puzzling new worldviews after WWI…Eilenberger weaves colorful biographical sketches…with a focus on common themes such as the tension between freedom and determinism … this comprehensive and well‑informed treatment deserves credit for bringing four major philosophers down from the heights of abstraction.” —Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Wolfram Eilenberger is a German philosopher, journalist, and founding editor of Philosophie Magazin. He has taught at institutions including the University of Toronto and ETH Zürich, and he hosts the philosophy program Sternstunde Philosophie on Swiss television. Time of the Magicians was his breakout international hit—originally published in German, it won the Bayerischer Buchpreis and has been translated into over thirty languages.
