Theodore Kisiel

Theodore Joseph Kisiel (October 30, 1930 – December 25, 2021) was an American philosopher. He was Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of philosophy at Northern Illinois University, as well as a well-known translator of and commentator on the works of Martin Heidegger.

Work Kisiel is known for his research on the development of Heidegger's early thought. Among his students are Gerry Stahl, Steven Crowell and Govert Schüller.

According to Kisiel, Heidegger viewed the entire history of both Eastern and Western philosophy (starting with Parmenides) as dominated by ontology, or "the metaphysics of permanent presence". Heidegger saw his work as focusing instead on the temporal, contingent, "thrown" existence of the individual.

Death Kisiel died on December 25, 2021, at the age of 91.