Being and Time previous philosophies that had become entrenched and hidden within the theoretical attitude of the metaphysics of presence. This use of the word "Destruktion" is meant to signify not a negative operation but rather a positive transformation or recovery. In "Being and Time" Heidegger briefly undertakes a destructuring of the philosophy of René Descartes, but the second volume, which was intended to be a "Destruktion" of Western philosophy in all its stages, was never written. In later works Heidegger uses this approach to interpret the philosophies of Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, and Plato, among others. "Being and Time" is the major achievement
Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist 1974. In 2013 an edition with a new foreword by the philosopher Alexander Nehamas was published. "Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist" was reviewed by Chris Terry in "Times Higher Education". The book was also discussed by the philosopher Richard Rorty in "The New Republic". Rorty described the book as "path-breaking", but wrote that it had been superseded by the philosopher Richard Schacht's "Nietzsche" (1983), which in Rorty's view was more comprehensive, better organized and more helpful to readers who were new to Nietzsche and needed help in understanding the apparent contradictions in Nietzsche's views. "Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist" received positive reviews