This text explores the significance of Jan Patočka's writings from the period of Negative Platonism. It addresses the common objection that Patočka eventually abandoned these inquiries, rendering them an exhausted or irrelevant phase of his development. Drawing on Heidegger's interpretation of Aristotle, the author argues that to engage with a philosopher's legacy does not necessarily mean following their personal chronological path. Instead, it involves returning to more original insights that may remain untapped. Patočka's non-dogmatic style and broad intellectual range allowed him to leave certain philosophical directions as open possibilities for the future rather than discarding them entirely. The abstract asserts that his earlier reasoning remains a valid and potent resource for contemporary thought. By exploring these unused paths, one can uncover profound philosophical potentials that Patočka himself did not fully pursue. Consequently, the study defends the legitimacy of revisiting Patočka’s earlier work as a means of original philosophical inquiry today.