Heraclitus

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Heraclitus

• The weeping philosopher

By Josh Chris
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Heraclitus is remembered for being the most
famous Greek philosopher until Socrates was
born 10 years later.
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Heraclitus was born around 535 B.C.E. in Ephesus,
Asia Minor (Turkey) (he is still considered
Greek) Not much is known about his childhood
Although it is not known whether he was born
rich, he ultimately was or became nobility in
Ephesus Unlike most ancient Greek philosophers,
he was not associated with any particular school.
(4)
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He did not think much of his contemporaries. He
basically criticized every philosopher who had
come before him.
People disliked by Heraclitus
People Heraclitus would have disliked if he had
not died in a tragic incident (more on that later)
Heraclitus
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Heraclituss Philosophy He is thought to have
published one book but some of it has been
lost All parts that are left are fragmented,
many of them contradictory (3)
Possible remnants of Heraclituss long lost book
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Doctrine of Flux and Unity of Opposites You
cannot step twice into the same river."
-Heraclitus This, his most famous quote,
illustrates one of his most important
philosophies, that every thing is
ephemeral/passing the fundamental character of
reality is change itself p 24 From Socrates
to Satire The Philosophic Quest Sea is the
purest and most polluted water for fish
drinkable and healthy, for men undrinkable and
harmful. Heraclitus So things can mean
opposite things at the same time Things are
relative. (2)
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• Sense Perception
• So as his only book was partly destroyed (?),
  information is limited on his thoughts about
  sense perception.
• Through fractured quotes it would seem that he
  believed that senses were essential to
  understanding the world around him. That without
  these, men would be blind (literally/figuratively)
  .
• Basically that unlike some of his contemporaries
  (see next slide), he thought that senses were to
  key to interpreting the world, that reason alone
  was not enough to verify existence.
• (1)

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Heraclitus vs. Parmenides
They were two of the most famous pre-Socratic
philosophers.
Heraclitus
Parmenides

• Believed that unending change was the basis of
  the universe.
• Opposites are relative and change along with the
  rest of the world.
• Senses trumped reason in determining context.

The universe is defined by permanence. Change is
only an illusion. How can something be and
then not be? Reason is the most important way to
understand the word. Senses are unreliable.
(1)
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• Class Poll. How did Heraclitus die?
• He fell into a pit of rattlesnakes, and survived
  the night, but he died when trying to get out of
  the pit. ?
• B. He died of dehydration while watching a
  gymnastics competition ?
• C. He covered himself in cow manure and went to
  sit in the sun for a day, to try and cure a
  disease, but he ended up dying instead ?
• D. He was stung by a jelly-fish while skinny
  dipping, and drowned while trying to swim back to
  shore. ?
• E. He was assassinated by a triangular ninja
  star, with an unknown killer. It was thought to
  be a follower of Pythagoras, though. ?
• F. He invented a prehistoric car while in
  isolation (otherwise known as hermitage) and went
  for a joy ride, but he crashed it into a
  mountain, and then it rolled into the sea. ?
• G. He was the first and last emo(tional) Greek ?

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C. He covered himself in cow manure and went to
sit in the sun for a day, to try and cure a
disease, but he ended up dying instead ?
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• Work Cited
• "Heraclitus Internet Encyclopedia of
  Philosophy." Internet Encyclopedia of
  Philosophy. Web. 11 Feb. 2011. lthttp//www.iep.utm
  .edu/heraclit/H3gt.
• Lavine, T. Z. From Socrates to Satire The
  Philosophic Quest. New York City Bantam, 1984.
  Print.
• Abel, Reuben. Man Is the Measure a Cordial
  Invitation to the Central Problems of Philosophy.
  New York Free, 1976. Print.
• Heraclitus (Stanford Encyclopedia of
  Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of
  Philosophy. Web. 11 Feb. 2011. lthttp//plato.stanf
  ord.edu/entries/heraclitus/gt.