9. Where a people posits itself as its own goal, egoism has expanded into the gigantic but has gained nothing with regard to domains and truth—the blindness toward beyng survives in a desolate and crude “biologism” which promotes a swaggering in words.
10. All this is radically un-German.
* * *
Of what use are thinkers in such a boisterous time?
Questioning
91
Certain ones are ill-humored, if not even indignant, over the attitude and demand of constant questioning. Those who behave in such a way do not realize that the much-invoked answer is always only the last step of questioning in a series of many previous interrogative steps.
* * *
92
The concept is to be propounded for that which is unconceptualized; and thereby the essence of the concept is to be transformed on the basis of the essence of truth. Originary knowledge in the “concept” is to be grounded against mere incomprehension as well as against incomprehensibility.
In every great philosophy, its concealed way—and its thrust—to the essential disclosure must be followed. But we must never become fixated on its stated propositions; not as if everything should merely be dissolved into the way, not as if there would be no Essential truth in philosophy, but rather because this truth is not a propositional truth—or, better: because the propositions, the essential ones, have a different character as propositions than that of a merely correct assertion.
(Cf. Kant’s way to the transcendental imagination.)
93
One who would take a great leap needs a great running start. For that, he must draw far back, indeed all the way back to the first beginning— if at issue in the leap is the second beginning.