7. Asking the question of Being in an originary way, in a way that grasps the task of unfolding the truth of the essence of Being, means facing the decision regarding the concealed powers in these separations, and it means bringing them back to their own truth.

Everything that earlier was merely declared in these points has now been brought into view, except what is claimed in the last point. And it contains nothing but a demand. In conclusion, we must show that this demand is justified and its fulfillment is necessary.

This demonstration can be carried out only in such a way that at the same time, we cast an eye once again over the entirety of this “introduction to metaphysics.”

Everything is based on the fundamental question that we raised at the beginning: “Why are there beings at all instead of nothing?” The first unfolding of this fundamental question forced us into the prior question: how does it stand with Being as such?

At first, “Being” appeared to us as an empty word with an evanescent meaning. This appeared to be one ascertainable fact among others. But in the end, that which apparently was not open to question, which apparently was no longer questionable, proved to be what is most worthy of questioning. Being and the understanding of Being are not a present-at-hand fact. Being is [154|210] the fundamental happening, the ground upon which historical Dasein is first granted in the midst of beings that are opened up as a whole.

But we experience this most question-worthy ground of historical Dasein in its worth and its rank only if we put it into question. Accordingly, we posed the prior question: How does it stand with Being?