An examination of Heraclitus’ position on the philosophical problem of change.
The paper explains that according to Heraclitus, there is no permanent reality except the reality of change. The paper discusses how Heraclitus had the concept that matter was in endless change, and all things are composed of fire and are again resolved into fire. The paper asserts that subsequent centuries have not only borne him out, but man’s most recent advances in knowledge have taught them that that change is more pervasive than even Heraclitus dared to imagine.
“Greek philosopher of Aephesus, Heraclitus, lived c.535-c.475 B.C. For Heraclitus, everything is in this process of flux, and nothing – not even the world in its momentary form, nor the gods themselves, can escape final destruction. That will apply to the world at large (macrocosm) and also the soul of humans (microcosm) (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy). According to Heraclitus, there was no permanent reality except the reality of change. He believed that permanence was just an illusion of the senses and that all things carried with them their opposites. He also contended that death was potential in life, that being and not being were prt of every whole, thus, the only possible real state was the transitional one of becoming. He also identified life and reason with fire and contended that no man had a soul of his own, that each person shared in a universal soul-fire (Electric Library).”