EARLY GREEK THINKING
the West interpreted as the land of evening—we are thinking all these on the basis of a fundamental characteristic of Being which is more concealed in Λήθη. than it is revealed in Ἀλήθεια Yet this concealing of its essence and of its essential origin is characteristic of Being's primordial self-illumination, so much so that thinking simply does not pursue it. The being itself does not step into this light of Being. The unconcealment of beings, the brightness granted them, obscures the light of Being.
As it reveals itself in beings, Being withdraws.
In this way, by illuminating them, Being sets beings adrift in errancy. Beings come to pass in that errancy by which they circumvent Being and establish the realm of error (in the sense of a prince's realm or the realm of poetry). Error is the space in which history unfolds. In error what happens in history bypasses what is like Being. Therefore, whatever unfolds historically is necessarily misinterpreted. During the course of this misinterpretation destiny awaits what will become of its seed. It brings those whom it concerns to the possibilities of the fateful and fatal [Geschlcktichen und Ungeschicklichen]. Man's destiny gropes toward its fate [Geschick versucht sich an Geschick]. Man's inability to see himself corresponds to the self-concealing of the lighting of Being.
Without errancy there would be no connection from destiny to destiny: there would be no history. Chronological distance and causal sequence do indeed belong to the discipline of historiography, but are not themselves history. When we are historical we are neither a great nor a small distance from what is Greek. Rather, we are in errancy toward it.
As it reveals itself in beings. Being withdraws.
Being thereby holds to its truth and keeps to itself. This keeping to itself is the way it reveals itself early on. Its early sign is Ἀ-λήθεια As it provides the unconcealment of beings it founds the concealment of Being. Concealment remains characteristic of that denial by which it keeps to itself.
We may call this luminous keeping to itself in the truth of its essence the ἐποχή of Being. However, this word, borrowed from the Stoic philosophers, does not here have the Husserlian sense of objectification or methodical exclusion by an act of thetic consciousness. The
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