47


and openness. The ἕν which Heraclitus attempts to think in Fr. 57 is the unity of the double domain.

HEIDEGGER: But how do both domains hang together?

FINK: The light space of lightning or of Ἥλιος. in which πάντα come forth to appearance and move into their outline, is encircled by a dark abyss. Ἥλιος is not permitted to overstep the boundary set to his domain of power and go into the nightly foundation, because he will be brought to account by the Erinyes, who guard the boundary of the double domain.

HEIDEGGER: Is it here a question of two domains or of one and the same which is distinguished in itself? Let us put this question aside for the moment. We will come back to it later. I would like once again to go into ἕστι γὰρ ἕν. Can one place the plural εἰσί here at all? {GA 15: 81} Diels sets a semicolon before ἕστι γὰρ ἕν. Seen purely stylistically, a period and not a semicolon would suitably have to be placed in Heraclitus' language. Perhaps Diels was misled into using the semicolon by the subsequent γὰρ [yet]. A period is therefore called for, because in ἕστι γὰρ ἕν something uncommon follows which must be sharply contrasted with what has preceded.

FINK: Most people are familiar with the distinction of night and day. Hesiod, who treated of day and night, also belongs to them. But he did not understand day and night because he did not know ξυνόν. The ἕστι γὰρ ἕν works like a blow. It is intentionally thematic and is said like a dictate.

HEIDEGGER: Because Hesiod did not know ξυνόν, Heraclitus cannot associate with him. They both speak a different language.

FINK: In ἕστι γὰρ ἕν Heraclitus does not think the vanishing of distinctions, but the ἕν of the double domain. There is ἕν. Here ἕν is the subject of the sentence. One must come into the dimension of ἕν as the double domain in order to go beyond the πολλοί. Heraclitus would not say that Hesiod is a blockhead. When he reproves Hesiod it is only because Hesiod is a speculative blockhead. ἕστι γὰρ ἕν is foundation for οὐκ ἐγίνωσκεν [does not know].

HEIDEGGER: Heraclitus does not name the ground but only says that Hesiod does not know it.

FINK: The ignorance of Hesiod is unmasked by the ἕστι γὰρ ἕν.

PARTICIPANT: It remains a difficulty for me to what extent ἕστι γὰρ ἕν should be illuminating about the ignorance of Hesiod, which shows itself in thinking about day and night. {GA 15: 82} It must therefore be determined by us in which relation ἕστι γὰρ ἕν stands to Hesiod's knowledge of day and night.

FINK: You refer γὰρ too directly to Hesiod's misunderstanding about day and night. Hesiod has interpreted the phenomenon of day and night not just differently from Heraclitus. There is not another view


Martin Heidegger (GA 15) Heraclitus Seminars