THEME

HEIDEGGER 50 YEARS ON

IS THERE STILL A GOD THAT CAN SAVE US?

A number of events are being planned to mark the centenary of the publication of Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time / Sein und Zeit in 2027. However, May 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of Heidegger’s death. Accordingly, the Philosophy Department at the University of Sussex will convene the British Society for Phenomenology Annual Conference 2026 to consider where we are 50 years on in terms of Heidegger’s legacy.

Our event is framed by Heidegger’s infamous 1966 interview with Der Spiegel (published posthumously in 1976 at Heidegger’s request), which appeared five days after his passing. Der Spiegel published the interview with a title taken from one of Heidegger’s statements in the interview: Only a God Can Save Us.

‘Heidegger 50 years on – Is There Still a God That Can Save Us?’ asks people to reflect on our times along with the many questions and themes Heidegger’s philosophy opens up. 

Papers range from engagements with technology, art, politics, Artificial Intelligence, the continental/analytic divide (to the extent that there still is one), history, nihilism and so on. This is very much a ‘Heidegger and…’ conference, and speakers will focus on Heidegger’s own work, but also Heidegger in relation to other thinkers, those exploring interdisciplinary approaches within and beyond phenomenology, and practitioners who engage with Heideggerian themes in their work.

British Society for Phenomenology Annual Conference 2026 convened by the 

Philosophy Department, Faculty of Media, Arts, & Humanities, University of Sussex, UK

Brighton, UK | 21 – 23 May 2026 | In-person

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