Eros and Eris

the Trojan war and Heidegger on the essence of truth

Samuel IJsseling

pp. 1-10

in: Paul Sars, Chris Bremmers, Koen Boey (eds), Eros and Eris, Berlin, Springer, 1992

Abstract

For the Greeks, The Trojan War is above all else an affair of the gods, of divine Eros and Eris. A central role in the war is played by Helen. All sorts of problems are raised concerning her guilt and responsibility, and for the Greeks this means chiefly whether she receives a good or bad name. These problems are raised against the background of the ambiguity of Eros and Eris. When Heidegger speaks about the essence of truth as Urstreit and thereby explicitly refers to the "war" of Heraclitus and to Eros and Eris, this too can be understood in the framework of this ambivalence.

Cited authors

Heidegger Martin

Heraclitus