The two faces of the “primal structure”

Abstract

This essay aims to establish the basic relationship between the book published by Emanuele Severino in 1958 with the title La struttura originaria [The Primal Structure] and the configuration which the primal structure of the truth of Being has assumed subsequently within the thought of the philosopher from Brescia. To achieve this aim, the series of writings ranging from the famous article Ritornare a Parmenide [Returning to Parmenides] (1964) to the important Introduction contained in the new edition of The Primal Structure (1981) will be examined. Thus, both the element of continuity that characterizes Severino’s writings with regard to the “truth of Being” and a differentiation that they present with regard to the “face” of Being that transcends experience will be highlighted.