How to Read Heraclitus Fragments

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Heraclitus of Ephesus penned verses that transcend the eras, ringing true still today even though he lived in Greece around 500 B.C. Unlike many philosophers of his time, he didn't try to rationalize logos by defining it in terms of air (Anaximenes), water (Thales), or a combination of hot and cold (Anaximander); he approached philosophy psychologically, rationalizing thought by recognizing redundancy and contradiction."People dull their wits with gibberish and cannot use their ears and eyes," was one of his many fragments left behind, arguing that attempting to spell out logos with simple analogies was virtually useless when in the end "any day stands equal to the rest."

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

A collection of Heraclitus' fragments

Step1

Though we have access to a selection of more than 100 of his verses translated to English, many more may still remain untranslated. But the essence of Heraclitus remains his fragments. And the fragmented nature of his wisdom suits his philosophies. Read Heraclitus' fragments to get a taste of his words.

Step2

You will encounter many seemingly contradictory phrases: "The beginning is the end"; "Two made one are never one"; "Arguing the same we disagree"; "Singing together we compete." Don't pass these off as nonsense. Break each saying down. Don't focus on the literal but the psychological aspect. One of Heraclitus' most important theories is that life, logos, all things are in a constant flux, ceaselessly changing. If for a moment one thing is true, the next moment its opposite is true. Continue reading, meanwhile letting your preconceptions about life go. Break down boundaries and see that "you cannot step twice into the same stream. For as you are stepping in, other waters are ever flowing on to you."

Step3

While reading, absorbing Heraclitus' wisdom and putting other preconceptions into question, remember that words and ideas cloud your mind from truth. By trying to define truth and wisdom, we lose ourselves. Heraclitus offered his life experience as example. Like Jesus, the Buddha, Lao Tzu and Confucius, Heraclitus gave up his material life and his claim to the throne of Ephesus and yielded to life's energy, settling for a simpler life in his journey for truth. "Although we need the Word to keep things known in common, people still treat specialists as if their nonsense were a form of wisdom."

Step4

After reading many of his fragments, you will have introduced yourself to his school of thought. To further understand his fragments though, you need a closer look at his original text. Unless you can read ancient Greek, this isn't possible. So read books and works of authors that have translated his fragments. You will find many fragments that have been altered slightly to be coherent in English and many more that cannot be translated because certain Greek words have no English equivalent.

Step5

Continue reading about Heraclitus and his life. His work will become less opaque the more you know about his biography and about his contemporaries. Philosophers and psychologists such as Aristotle, Plato, Nietzsche and Jung have poured over his works for centuries because an undefinable truth permeates his fragments. Read their interpretations and studies. Then keep reading, and reading about why "all things change to fire, and fire exhausted falls back into things."

Tips & Warnings

Don't skip the introduction or forward to your book of Heraclitus fragments. The author's notes will help you see his verses as wisdom rather than contradictions.