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productive [poietische] power. But this negation sounds paradoxical, because it would never readily occur to anybody that a human has brought forth the entire order of πάντα. Humans do not bring forth the κόσμος in the sense of the entire joining of πάντα, except the κόσμος in the sense of the πόλις [city]; while the gods bring forth the κόσμος in the sense of the world-rule, though in a limited manner in so far as they cannot intervene in the power of Μοῖρα [goddess of fate]. Humans and gods are productive because they {GA 15: 110} partake of the productive power of fire in an extraordinary manner. Humans make only little κόσμοι and not great ones, but only because they partake in the ποίησις of πῦρ. Gods and humans are distinguished beings in the κόσμος, while gods are determined by a still greater nearness to πῦρ ἀείζωον. Out of participation in the productive power of fire, humans have the capacity of τέχνη and of establishing states. Gods bring forth no state, but rather world dominion. Gods and humans are enfeoffed with their own productive power by the productive dominion of fire, which overrules them, and only therefore can it be said of them in a denial that they have not brought forth the great κόσμος. Before ἀλλά in Fr. 30, I would put a semicolon, and then translate further: but it was always and is and will be eternal-living fire. The ποίησις of fire is the διακόσμησις [setting in order]. What was earlier spoken of as οἰακίζει and ἐκυβέρνησε is now the productive power of fire for the κόσμος.
HEIDEGGER: You do not think power metaphysically. You do not think metaphysically any longer. Heraclitus does not yet think metaphysically. Is that the same? Is it a question of the same situation of thinking?
FINK: Presumably not. For we, in distinction from Heraclitus, are stamped by the conceptual language of metaphysics. Perhaps, with the fundamental ideas of metaphysics, we get scarcely beyond metaphysics.
HEIDEGGER: That is to be noticed for the interpretation, and also for the connection of the not-yet-metaphysical and the no-more-metaphysical, which is a special, historical connection. The expression "not metaphysical" is insufficient. We no longer interpret metaphysically a text that is not yet metaphysical. In back of that a question hides that is not now to be raised but that will {GA 15: 111} be necessary in order to be able to make the way of your interpretation clear.
FINK: Now we can refer to the less smooth explanation to the concluding phrase: ἁπτόμενον μέτρα καὶ ἀποσβεννύμενον, μέτρα. If fire is always living, it is not quenched as such. Rather, it is kindling and quenching in reference to the κόσμος. and it sets measures for day and night and all things that stand in the openness of the alternation of day and night. The ἁπτόμενον μέτρα καὶ ἀποσβεννύμενον μέτρα is no determined state of fire. It is not something that happens to fire. Rather, the kindling and quenching according to measures happens in reference to that which comes and goes in the shine of fire. Thε ἦν, ἔστιν, and