This 1955 essay presents the unaltered, slightly expanded text of Heidegger’s contribution, Concerning the Line, to a Festschrift in honor of Ernst Jünger. In this text, he discusses all the main themes of his late philosophy. The alteration of the title is meant to indicate that the discussion of the nature of nihilism stems from the explication of the question of being as such. How does being manifest itself? This is not a metaphysical inquiry into the being of entities, but a regressive step back into the ground of metaphysics.
In the essay, Heidegger comments on a text by Jünger, Across the Line. This is the empty nothing where nihilism reigns. Jünger wants to push the movement beyond the critical point and thus invite a new transformation of humanity in and through nihilism. Heidegger’s essay, on the other hand, concerns only the line and does not attempt to cross it. Heidegger criticizes Jünger for moving too quickly. We must first find the location of this line. From this location, the provenance of the nature of nihilism and its consummation emerge.
With the consummation of nihilism begins the final phase of
metaphysics, that is the reign of positionality. If we want to reflect
on the historical origin and possibilities of nihilism, we must first
lay out a path that leads to discussing the history of being. On this
path alone can the question concerning the nothing be discussed. In
order to be able to follow this path, we must relinquish the language
of metaphysics. If a potential shift and turn around belongs to being,
as Jünger thinks, then being must initiate this turning through
its “own” power of unconcealment. But then we must use an “X”
designating being (as) to distinguish it from the concept of being that
metaphysics formulates. The crossing out is the location where the
four regions of the fourfold are gathered together. In the phase of the
consummation of nihilism, being, as such, remains absent and thus
conceals itself. The forgottenness of being shelters its unrevealed
mystery. Unconcealment (alèlethia) resides in the concealment of
presencing. The task of thinking is to heed the address of being and
allow its silent voice to echo in language.
Translated in Pathmarks.
Wegmarken (GA 9)