Nietzsche: Volumes One and Two

Heidegger, Martin

Nietzsche: Volumes One and Two

by Heidegger, Martin (1991)

Abstract

A landmark discussion between two great thinkers, vital to an understanding of twentieth-century philosophy and intellectual history.

Key Passage

But how would it be if there were a man, [hos panta poiei, hosaper heis hekastos ton cheirotechnon (596c)], "who produced everything that every single other craftsman" is able to make? That would be a man of enormous powers, uncanny and astonishing. In fact there is such a man: hapanta ergadzetai, "he produces anything and every-thing." He can produce not only implements, [alla kai ta ek tes ges phuomena hapanta poiei kai zoia panta ergadzetai], "but also what comes forth from the earth, producing plants and animals and every-thing else"; kai heauton, "indeed, himself too," and besides that, earth and sky, kai theous, "even the gods," and everything in the heavens and in the underworld. But such a producer, standing above all beings and even above the gods, would be a sheer wonderworker! Yet there is such a demiourgos, and he is nothing unusual; each of us is capable of achieving such production. It is all a matter of observing [tini tropoi poiei], "in what way he produces." (p.176)