Heidegger is one of the most controversial and one of the least understood philosophers. Whenever I am in a forest opening I cannot help it but think of his “Lichtung” (Gr. Αίθριο). Every time I say the word “is”, I cannot but think how he told again and again how we have been driven away our true mission is Beings. And as Ms. Grene said “It had to happen this way. It had to happen this way because we are fallen out of Being. We are more concerned with beings, from genes to space ships, than with our true calling, which is to be shepherds and watchers of Being. So it is that we are lost, and Being itself has become a haze and an error – nothing”…
Heidegger himself wrote to Jaspers expressing his own tragedy. “For loneliness is nearly perfect” he said. (Ott 42). He was alone trying to fight his two thorns. And as St. Paul in his letter called to God for help, Heidegger boldly claims in his last interview in Spiegel that “only a God can save us now”. The journalists insist on asking him again and again for advice, he keeps on telling them like a Zen master “I can’t help you. I don’t know”. It was like Socrates and his infamous “ Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα ” was alive once more.
Our fall (Verfallen) to Beings is completed. Things technology offers us work, as the journalist from Spiegel pointed out. “But that is exactly what is scary – that they work”, replied the Professor. We have been dehumanized already. We do not need any nuclear war or a meteorite for that to happen. We have been away from out nature for too long. Away from Earth. We are already extinct in a way.
But we must not try to avoid our fate. The answer of Jesus to St. Paul was a surprise: “ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου· ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται ” (My grace should suffice – My strength becomes perfect in sickness) (IB, 1-12), as Heracletus many years ago said “νοῦσος ὑγιείην ἐποίησεν ” or as Thomas Eliott said “our only health is the disease”. As Heidegger tried to remove his two thorns, we must continue to insist on defeating ours. We will not accomplish what we want. But our Thought will have become more genuine in turning itself against itself. Letting go becomes the only philosophy. Things take a “Kehre” (Gr. Τροπή) …
Disease is required because this is was makes strength perfect.
Everyone must face his own «σκόλοπα», ἳνα μη ὑπεραίρηται…
