2. Philosophy - Stefano Franchi

100
A BSOLUTE( S ) SPIELEN
liminarly, that any road departing from the end of philosophy seems to bring us, one way
or another, in close proximity to Spiel. Be it a completion, as in the Hegelian case, a termi-
nus, as in science’s case, or an overcoming, as in Heidegger’s case, in any case the end point
seems to lead to the encounter with the concept of Spiel. The whole path we have traversed
so far under Hegel’s guide might therefore be considered as a straight road that can brings
us all alone, once we have learned the way, from the condition of possibility of philosophy
to the concept of Spiel. 13
Before entering into a closer analysis of the various branches of this path, it seems
however advisable to understand better, taking the Hegelian case as our guiding paradigm,
the relationship between what lies at the end of the road and Spielen. Is the place that is the
end—e.g. either the completion or the terminus of philosophy—literally, a Spielen, a form
of playing? Is there a game, perhaps a cosmic one, lying ahead of philosophy? Or is Spielen
instead to be interpreted in a more metonymical sense as the representative of a set of con-
13. Procedurally minded readers may perhaps appreciate a different rendition of what I have been saying
in the last few pages. It will be seen, in fact, that I have tried to linearize into prose the following diagram
representing the various possibilities, as I see them, opened up by my analysis of the relationship
between the end of philosophy and Spiel.
Non -metaphysics
as radical re-thinking
of Philosophy
SPIEL
NO
Philosophy absorbed
by science
YES
NO
Unstable,
collapses back onto
Philosophy = Truth of Being
Philosophy replaced
by science
NO
YES
Philosophical void
Philosophy's telos
picked up by science
NO
YES
YES
Hegel's case for
Absolute Knowing
SPIEL
Non-Philosophy
as scientific metaphysics
SPIEL