Martin Heidegger

About Martin Heidegger

Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) was a towering figure in 20th-century Continental philosophy, renowned primarily for his seminal work, *Being and Time* (1927). His exploration into the meaning of Being (Sein) and fundamental ontology profoundly influenced existentialism, hermeneutics, and phenomenology across the humanities and social sciences, securing his HPI Rank of #432 among history’s most influential figures. His later association with Nazism remains a deeply controversial aspect of his legacy, complicating his historical reception.

For a figure of this historical stature, the contemporary internet attention is surprisingly moderate. Heidegger garnered approximately 595K annualized Wikipedia pageviews in 2025. This places his digital footprint in the same ballpark as fellow philosophers like Michel Foucault (925K views) and Hannah Arendt (985K views), suggesting that within academic circles, his influence remains strong. However, he receives significantly less attention than figures like Robert De Niro (5.7M views) or Helen Keller (2.6M views), despite ranking nearly 300 spots higher in historical importance.

The data shows a stable but not surging interest, with a modest 2.9% year-over-year increase in views, counterbalanced by a slight -2% dip in momentum between Q1 and Q3 of 2025. His Attention Gap is calculated at approximately 1x, indicating that his current digital presence is relatively aligned with his established historical importance, unlike some significantly overlooked giants.