The Fragments of Heraclitus: Living Philosophy of an Ancient Age

Abstract

I hope the commentary on these fragments and the ensuing interpretations will display two things. First, the complexity of Heraclitus' ideas should be obvious. Although these fragments appear deceivingly straightforward to the casual reader, hopefully this more detailed examination has displayed their profundity. Secondly, and more importantly, I hope the reader realizes that Heraclitus left a living philosophy behind him. By "living", I mean a philosophy which is able to transverse time with ideas that are worth discussing in the year 2000, as well as in the year 1000, as well as when they were first written. Heraclitus has achieved this. His ideas were not a single point on a time-line, but dynamic, moving through the ages, continually being interpreted and reinterpreted. His ideas have been accepted into the personal philosophies of some and rejected from the philosophies of others, yet whether they were accepted or rejected they remained important--and alive-enough to merit this consideration. Heraclitus' philosophy remains as interesting and challenging now, in 1988 A.D., as it was when it first appeared in the Sixth Century B.C.