Heraclitus

By Miguel Santiago

Heraclitus of Ephesus, an ancient Greek philosopher, lived around the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. Although little is known about his personal life, Heraclitus left an enduring legacy through his profound ideas on the nature of reality and the human condition.

Heraclitus was known as the “Obscure” due to the poetic and enigmatic style of his writings. He believed the world was in a constant state of flux, and the only constant was change itself. He famously stated, “You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you.”

Heraclitus characterised existence as a perpetual process of transformation driven by opposing forces. He emphasised the concept of the Logos, an underlying rational principle or divine reason that governs the cosmos. The Logos represents the universal order, balance, and hidden harmony underlying the apparent chaos of the world.

Heraclitus explored the intricate relationship between opposites, such as day and night, hot and cold, and life and death, suggesting that harmony arises from the dynamic tension between these dualistic forces. He rejected the notion of fixed identities, asserting that everything is in a state of perpetual becoming. According to Heraclitus, wisdom arises from recognising the transient nature of existence and aligning oneself with the flow of the Logos.

Although his ideas were often challenging and at odds with prevailing philosophical schools of his time, Heraclitus left a profound…