BEGINNING WITH A QUESTION ...

"Is" is one of the most commonplace words in the English language. It slips into sentences almost unnoticed. It is difficult to speak, write or think without it.

But few people ask

To the philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976),

that neglect was astonishing.

It is not just the neglect of a word, but of every resonance that such a word might have.

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