VVéérroonniiqquuee MM.. FFóóttii EEppoocchhaall DDiissccoorrddaannccee HHööllddeerrlliinn’’ss PPhhiilloossoopphhyy ooff TTrraaggeeddyy Epochal Discordance SUNY series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy Dennis J. Schmidt, editor E P O C H A L D I S C O R D A N C E Hölderlin’s Philosophy of Tragedy VÉRONIQUE M. FÓTI STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS Published by State University of New York Press Albany © 2006 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information, address State University of New York Press 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Albany, NY 12210-2384 Production, Laurie Searl Marketing, Anne M. Valentine Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fóti, Véronique Marion. Epochal discordance : Hölderlin's philosophy of tragedy / Véronique M. Fóti. p. cm. — (SUNY series in contemporary continental philosophy) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and indexes. ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-6859-3 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-7914-6859-3 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Hölderlin, Friedrich, 1770-1843— Philosophy. 2. Tragedy—Philosophy. I. Title. II. Series. PT2359.H2F68 2006 809.2'512—dc22 2005030810 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For my sons and daughters: Sunil Sharma, Leila Sharma, Ravi K. Sharma, Amina Sharma Contents Prefatory Note xi Prologue 1 One The Tragic Turning and Tragic Paradigm in Philosophy 7 Two Communing with the Pure Elements: The First Two Versions of The Death of Empedocles 29 Three Singularity and Reconciliation: The Third Version of The Death of Empedocles 41 Four Between Hölderlin’s Empedocles and Empedocles of Akragas 55 Five The Faithless Turning: Hölderlin’s Reading of Oedipus Tyrannos 65 Six Dys-Limitation and the “Patriotic Turning”: Sophocles’ Antigone 75 Seven From an Agonistic of Powers to a Homecoming: Heidegger, Hölderlin, and Sophocles 91 Epilogue 105 Notes 111 viii CONTENTS Bibliography 133 Index of Persons 139 Index of Topics 142 Wemust ask from the gods things suited to hearts that shall die, knowing the path we are in, the nature of our doom. —Pindar, PythianIII, trans. C. M. Bowra