Not many years ago interest directed by an American philosopher upon contemporary European philosophy was still slightly unusual. The more traditionalist minded scholars judged that philosophy to be tainted by a vicious subjectivism, and the Logical Positivists, their associates and successors thought it to be pretentious nonsense. Thus, it was not surprising that I, presumably a normally educated American of the nineteen forties and fifties, should have been repeatedly asked why I found contemporary European philosophy a rewarding study. The more or less unspoken intimation was that I should really be pursuing my education within the Anglo-American tradition. An attempt briefly to explain my choice of study will form an appropriate introduction to the essay to follow on the philosophy of a late European philosopher.