This book represents a continuation of Jean-Luc Marion's work on givenness as a foundational concept. A former student of Jacques Derrida, Marion is known for his work in
seventeenth-century French philosophy, for his theory of "God without being," and for
his reformulation of phenomenology. Marion's groundbreaking work on givenness is articulated
through attentive readings in a striking array of philosophical texts. The four pieces collected
here, based on the fall 2008 Richard Lectures at the University of Virginia, expand upon and go
beyond the lines of Marion's previous work and exemplify the intersection of his own
constructive brilliance with his talent and rigor as a historian of philosophy. Reengaging
philosophers long central to Marion's own work (Husserl, Heidegger, Levinas) and highlighting
the significance of lesser-known but decisive influences (Natorp, Rickert, Meinong), these
lectures will be valuable to readers interested in the ongoing conversation seeking to bridge the
divide between Continental and analytic philosophies, particularly through the exploration of common
points of origin. These pieces tackle some of the most pressing debates in contemporary European
philosophy and offer students of Marion material to ponder as they seek to further understand his
influences. Taken together, these essays form an important volume by a major figure in contemporary
philosophy.