Negation as Relation. Heidegger's interpretation of Plato's Sophist 257 b3-259 d1

The aim of the present chapter is to discuss and evaluate chapters 78 and 79 of Heidegger’s Lectures on Plato’s Sophist, which deal with Sph. 257b3–259d1. To this purpose, I will compare these chapters with the more established interpretations concerning the role played by the héteron in Plato’s dialogue. Providing my own reading, my main claim is that negation is understood by Heidegger as the foremost shape of relationality. Moreover, negation as relation is not a dialectical tool but the disclosive power able to show the “things themselves”. My argument will proceed by: 1) providing a short introduction of the major themes within the Sophist; 2) presenting Heidegger’s thesis; 3) analyzing the main threads within the Platonic text by referring to the more established interpretations; 4) evaluating Heidegger’s interpretation with a special emphasis on where it has to be situated with regard to the text and to other interpretations, thus pointing out the innovative elements proposed by Heidegger.