Heraclitus: Change and Continuity

The First Greek Philosopher

Thales of Miletus

- Predicted as eclipse in 585 BC

- Fell down a well

- Profited from olive presses

- Proposed Water as the fundamental element/principle underpinning Nature

Why is he said to be the first Greek philosopher?

- Because Aristotle said so

The wider world

Influences on the development of Greek philosophy:

- Near Eastern influences?

- Egyptian influences?

Ohter traditions:

- Ancient Indian philosophy (Buddha, c. 500 BC)

- Ancient Chinese philosophy (Confucius, c. 500 BC)

Everything Flows

Heraclitus says somewhere that everything moves and nothing is stable, and in likening things to the flowing river he says that one cannot step twice into the same river.

Cratylus

They observed that all nature around us undergoes change and held that one cannot speak the truth about that which is undergoing change. This is the position that which is undergoing change. This is the position of those of those who appropriated the legacy of Heraclitus, notably of Cratylus. His mature position was taht speech of any kind was radically inappropriate and that expression should be restricted exclusively to the movement of the finger. He was appalled that Heraclitus had claimed that you could not step twice into the same river. In Cratylus's opinion it was already going too far to admit stepping into the same river once.

Conflict

It is necessary to realize that war is common, that justice is strife, and that everything happends in accordance with strife and necessity.

War is the father of all things.

Opposition concus [with itself], and the fairest connection comes from things that differ [from one another], and everything comes about in accordance with strife.

Inevitability of Conflict

Heraclitus blames the poet who wrote "may strife perish from among the gods and men"; for he says there could not be harmoney without the low and the high note.

Back to Rivers

On those who step into the same rivers ever different waters are flowing.

This seems to imply a distinction between i) the river itself, and ii) the following waters that constitute it.

The Barley Drink

The river is an example of sth. defined by its change ('a body of flowing water').

Another example: the barley drink disintegrates if it is not constantly stirred.