18


κατὰ τὸν λόγον. πάντα are moved in accord with λόγος. γινόμενα πάντα at the same time stand in a relationship to humans who become uncomprehending (ἀξύνετοι γίνονται ἄνθρωποι), who do not understand the λόγος in accord with which πάντα happen and are moved.

HEIDEGGER: Let us also include among κατὰ τὸν λόγον the τόνδε.

FINK: The demonstrative τόνδε means: in accord with this λόγος, which then is discussed in what follows.

PARTICIPANT: Isn't it more appropriate to translate ἀξύνετοι γίνονται not with "becoming uncomprehending," but with "prove to be uncomprehending"?

FINK: When I translate γίνονται with "become," and put it in a relationship to γινομένων γὰρ πάντων, I understand by it only a colorless becoming.

HEIDEGGER: The beginning of our consideration was Fr. 64, in which we view the relatedness of steering lightning to τὰ πάντα, that is, the relatedness of ἕν and πάντα. Further fragments should now show us in what manner and in what respects this relatedness is mentioned.

FINK: In Fr. 1, in which πάντα are spoken of as moved, their movement is related to λόγος. In the same fragment, the relationship of humans to λόγος is also mentioned in so far as humans do not understand the λόγος in its moving relatedness to the moved πάντα. From Fr. 1, I would like to move to Fr. 7: εἰ πάντα τὰ ὄντα καπνὸς γένοιτο, ῥῖνες ἂν διαγνοῖεν.4 In what manner are πάντα spoken of here? Do ὄντα [things that actually exist] elucidate πάντα or is πάντα meant as an indeterminate number of a quintessential kind, so that we must translate: every ὄντα? I believe that πάντα are understood here as distinction.

HEIDEGGER: That they are distinct emerges from διαγνοῖεν [would discriminate].

FINK: In Fr. 7, a familiar phenomenon is mentioned, a phenomenon which disguises differences, namely, smoke. In smoke, to be sure, distinctions become elusive, but it does not eliminate those distinctions which become evident in διαγνοῖεν. Above all, the moment of being distinct is to be noticed in the word combination πάντα τὰ ὄντα.

HEIDEGGER: How is πάντα thus to be comprehended?

FINK: πάντα τὰ ὄντα does not mean an enumeration of ὄντα and does not signify "all which is," but the πάντα which are, are set off from one another, are distinguished. πάντα, collectively as τὰ ὄντα, are the correlate of a δίαγνωσις [diagnosis]. The diagnostic character of a distinguishing is sharpened in regard to smoke as a distinction-obscuring phenomenon. Thus, πάντα in Fr. 7 are viewed as distinct.

HEIDEGGER: What information concerning πάντα does Fr. 7 give us vis-à-vis Fr. 1?

FINK: In Fr. 7, the emphasis lies on the distinctness, on the individuality


Heraclitus Seminars (GA 15) by Martin Heidegger