HERACLITUS

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One of the younger Ionian physiologists, who because of the obscurity of his style was called Dark, and in contrast to the laughing Democritus, Laeon. He took part in the political struggles of his homeland always on the side of the aristocrats. His aristocracy even reached the point where he bitterly hated the "City" and those who were on the side of the people. This contempt of his was directed against many of his contemporaries and more ancient philosophers. Despite all this, he is considered as one of the most profound philosophers of antiquity, the modern world, with the development of physical and mathematical science, considers him, together with Democritus, a forerunner of the natural sciences and of our current age.

Heraclitus, in contrast to the Eleatic philosophers who had established the immobility of being, declared that eternal becoming and changing and never remaining the same. Every birth, according to Heraclitus, is a product of those elements of nature that are in constant struggle and opposition. Harmony is born from the struggle of the elements. Without this "competition", as he calls it, there would be no life. That is why he glorifies the war of the elements as the father of everything, and fire as their motive. Excess heat means excess movement and consciousness. Excess of cold means immobility and deadness. Our age has shed enough light on the dark theories of the Ephesian philosopher.

Quotes

1. FORGIVENESS IS SUPERIOR TO PUNISHMENT
2. NO ONE MADE THIS WORLD, NEITHER GOD NOR MAN, BUT IT WAS, IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE: IT IS AN ETERNAL LIVING FIRE THAT INCREASES AND DECREASES ACCORDING TO CERTAIN MEASURES
3. WISDOM IS ONE: KNOWING THE THOUGHT THAT SET ALL THINGS FOREVER
4. LET'S TRY TO EXTINGUISH HYBRIS RATHER THAN THE FIRE
5. THE PEOPLE MUST DEFEND THE LAW JUST LIKE THE WALLS
6. EVERYTHING IS FORMED FROM FIRE AND DISSOLVED IN FIRE
7. EVERYTHING IS DONE ACCORDING TO THE DECISIONS OF FATE AND BEINGS HARMONIZE THROUGH THEIR OPPOSITIONS
8. EVERYTHING IS FULL OF SOULS AND SPIRITS
9. YOU CANNOT FIND THE LIMITS OF THE SOUL, NO MATTER WHAT PATH YOU TAKE. SO DEEP ARE THE CAUSES OF ITS EXISTENCE
10. EVERYTHING IS CHANGED BY FIRE AND MADE BY DILUTION AND CONDENSATION
11. EVERYTHING IS DONE THROUGH OPPOSITES AND THE WHOLE FLOWS LIKE A RIVER
12. THE UNIVERSE IS FINITE AND THE WORLD IS ONE
13. EVERYTHING IS DETERMINED BY PREDESTINATION
14. OF THE OPPOSITES, THAT WHICH LEADS TO GENESIS IS CALLED WAR AND QUARREL AND THAT WHICH LEADS TO TRANSFORMATION INTO FIRE IS CALLED AGREEMENT AND PEACE
15. WE SHOULD NOT SPECULATE ABOUT THE IMPORTANT THINGS
16. IF HAPPINESS WAS ABOUT PHYSICAL PLEASURES, WE WOULD SAY THAT OXES ARE HAPPY WHEN THEY FIND GRASS TO EAT
17. THE SOUL IS IMMORTAL
18. PERIODICAL FIRE IS ETERNAL AND FATE IS CAUSE THAT CREATES BEINGS FROM PATHS OF OPPOSITES
19. EVERYTHING IS DONE ACCORDING TO PREDESTINATION AND THAT AND NEED IS ALL THAT EXISTS
20. THE WORLD IS ONE
21. THE WORLD IS MADE NOT ACCORDING TO TIME BUT ACCORDING TO THOUGHT
22. WHILE THE TRUE WORD IS UNIVERSAL, HUMAN MASSES LIVE BY THEIR INDIVIDUAL MINDSETS
23. COMMON PEOPLE FORGET WHAT THEY DO WHEN WAKE IN THE SAME WAY THEY FORGET THEIR DREAMS
24. THE SUN IS NOT ONLY NEW EVERY DAY, BUT IT IS ALWAYS YOUNG
25. DIFFERENCE IS USEFUL AND THE BEST ASSEMBLY COMES FROM THE DIFFERENTS
26. EVERYTHING IS INTERCONNECTED: THE SETS AND THE NON-SETS, THE CONVERGENTS AND THE DIVERGENTS, THE HARMONY AND THE MONODY. ALL COMBINE IN ONE AND FROM ONE COME ALL
27. THE CULTURED MAN SHOULD NOT BE DIRTY OR UNCLEAN NOR FIND PLEASURE IN WASTES
28. SOMEONE MAY BE ABLE TO AVOID THE SENSED LIGHT, BUT THE LIGHT OF THE MIND IS IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID
29. MANY DO NOT CONSIDER THE NATURE OF THE THINGS IN FRONT OF THEM, NOR DO THEY REALLY KNOW THEM EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO THEM, BUT JUST THINK THEY KNOW THEM
30. IF ONE DOESN'T HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS, ONE IS NOT GOING TO DISCOVER IT BECAUSE IT IS UNEXPLORED AND INACCESSIBLE
31. THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO LISTEN DON'T KNOW HOW TO SPEAK
32. WHAT WE SEE WHEN WAKE IS DEATH, WHAT WE SEE DURING SLEEP, IS SLEEP
33. GOLD DIGGERS DIG A LOT OF DROUND AND FIND LITTLE GOLD
34. IF THERE WERE NO OFFENSES, PEOPLE WOULD NOT KNOW THE NAME OF THE LAW
35. THOSE KILLED IN BATTLE ARE HONORED BY GODS AND MEN
36. THE GREATNESS OF LIFE IS MEASURED BY THE GREATNESS OF DEATH
37. PEOPLE, WHEN THEY DIE, HAVE THINGS AWAITING THEM THAT THEY NEITHER HOPE NOR IMAGINE
38. INSTEAD OF ALL MORTAL THINGS, THE EXCELLENT CHOOSE ONE ONLY: ETERNAL GLORY. ON THE CONTRARY, MANY ARE CONTENT TO EAT LIKE ANIMALS
39. KNOWING A LOT DOESN'T EDUCATE THE MIND
40. THE ONE, THE WISE DOESN'T WANT AND WANTS TO BE CALLED ONLY ZEUS
41. IT IS ALSO A LAW TO OBEY THE DECISIONS OF THE ONE
42. THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUE WORD, EVEN WHEN THEY HEAR IT ARE LIKE THE DEAF. THE SAYING ALSO SAYS IT: PRESENT BUT ABSENT
43. IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY THAT PHILOSOPHERS BE JUDGES OF THE MANY
44. SOULS, WHEN THEY DIE, BECOME WATER AND WATER WHEN IT DIES, BECOMES EARTH. FROM THE EARTH WATER IS BORN AND FROM WATER THE SOUL
45. PIGS ARE WASHED IN MUD, POULTRY IN DUST OR ASHES
46. WISDOM IS ONE THING: TO KNOW THAT REASON GOVERNS ALL THINGS THROUGH THEIR INTERNAL RELATIONS
47. ARROGANCE IS GOD SENT DISEASE
48. LET'S NOT SPECULATE ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES
49. THE NAME OF LIFE IS LIFE, ITS WORK IS DEATH
50. AN EXCELLENT IS WORTH TEN THOUSANDS
51. INTO THE SAME RIVERS WE ENTER AND WE DON'T ENTER, WE EXIST AND WE DON'T EXIST
52. THE WHOLE IS DIVISIBLE AND INDIVISIBLE, BORN AND UNBORN, MORTAL AND IMMORTAL, REASON AND TIME, FATHER AND SON, GOD AND JUSTICE
53. THOSE WHO HAVE HEARD NOT ME, BUT THE WORD, ARE WISE TO AGREE THAT ALL IS ONE
54. IT IS HARMONY WHEN A THING CONTRASTS WITH ITSELF, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME IT IS IN AGREEMENT WITH IT
55. TIME IS A CHILD PLAYING DICE. THE KINGDOM BELONGS TO THE CHILD
56. WAR IS FATHER AND RULER OF ALL
57. IT MAKES GODS OUT OF SOME AND MEN OUT OF OTHERS, OTHERS IT MAKES SERVANTS AND OTHERS FREE
58. HIDDEN HARMONY IS STRONGER THAN VISIBLE HARMONY
59. PREFERRED ARE THINGS THAT ARE OBJECTS OF VISION, HEARING AND PERCEPTION
60. GOOD AND EVIL ARE ONE
61. UPHILL AND DOWNHILL ARE ONE AND THE SAME ROAD
62. THE SEA IS THE CLEANEST AND AT THE SAME TIME THE DIRTIEST WATER: FOR FISH IT IS GOOD AND LIFE-GIVING, FOR HUMANS IT IS NOT DRINKABLE AND DEADLY
63. GODS - MEN, MEN - GODS: THE GODS LIVE ETERNALLY THROUGH THE DEATH OF MEN, WHEN MORTALS DIE LOSE THE ETERNAL LIFE OF THE GODS
64. FIRE RULES EVERYTHING
65. FIRE WILL COME TO JUDGE AND CONQUER EVERYTHING
66. GOD IS DAY NIGHT, WINTER SUMMER, WAR PEACE, SATIATION HUNGER
67. HUMAN BELIEFS ARE LIKE CHILDREN'S PLAY
68. WORD RULES EVERYTHING
69. WE SHOULD NOT ACT AND TALK AS IF BEING ASLEEP
70. WE SHOULD NOT ACT AND TALK LIKE OUR PARENTS' CHILDREN - THAT IS, ACCORDING TO THE BELIEFS WE RECEIVED
71. THE SLEEPERS ARE WORKERS AND PARTNERS IN WHAT HAPPENS IN THE WORLD
72. FIRE LIVES THE DEATH OF AIR, AND AIR LIVES THE DEATH OF FIRE. WATER LIVES THE DEATH OF THE EARTH AND THE EARTH THE DEATH OF THE WATER
73. THE DEATH OF FIRE IS THE BIRTH OF AIR AND THE DEATH OF AIR IS THE BIRTH OF WATER
74. THE DEATH OF EARTH IS TO BECOME WATER AND THE DEATH OF WATER IS TO BECOME AIR AND OF AIR TO BECOME FIRE AND VICE VERSA
75. WISDOM IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH HUMAN CHARACTER BUT WITH THE DIVINE
76. THE DIVINE BEING CALLS THE MAN BABY THE SAME WAY A MAN CALLS THE CHILD
77. WE SHOULD KNOW THAT WAR IS A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON AND THAT QUARREL IS JUSTICE: EVERYTHING IS BORN AND STEMS NECESSARILY FROM QUARREL
78. THE CUTEST MONKEY IS UGLY COMPARED TO HUMANS
79. THE WISEST OF MEN COMPARED TO GOD IS A MONKEY IN WISDOM AND BEAUTY AND ALL THE REST
80. FIRE RESTS THROUGH CONTINUOUS CHANGE
81. IT IS TIRING TO ALWAYS STRIVE FOR THE SAME THINGS AND START WITH THEM ALL THE TIME
82. ANGER IS HARD TO FIGHT BECAUSE IT BUYS WHAT IT WANTS AT THE PRICE OF THE SOUL
83. MOST DIVINE THINGS ESCAPE US AND WE DO NOT KNOW THEM, BECAUSE OF OUR LACK OF BELIEF
84. THE SAME THING IS THE LIVING AND THE DEAD, THE AWAKING AND THE SLEEPING, THE YOUNG AND THE OLD: FROM THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE ONE RESULTS THE OTHER AND VICE VERSA
85. FOR THE AWAKE THE WORLD IS ONE AND COMMON, WHILE EACH ONE SLEEPING HAS A WORLD OF HIS OWN
86. EVERYTHING RESULTS FROM THE MUTATION OF FIRE AND IN THEIR TURN EVERYTHING BECOME FIRE, AS GOLD BECOME MONEY AND MONEY GOLD
87. YOU CANNOT STEP INTO THE SAME RIVER TWICE
88. THE SIBYL IN HER INTENSE MANIA PROPHESIES WITHOUT LAUGHTER, ORNAMENTS AND PERFUMES AND WITH HER VOICE GOES THROUGH A THOUSAND YEARS DUE TO THE GRACE OF GOD
89. THE KING OF THE DELPHIC ORACLE DOES NOT REVEAL BY WORD NOR HIDES, BUT IS EXPRESSED THROUGH SYMBOLS
90. THE SUN WILL NOT EXCEED THE SPECIFIED MEASURES. OTHERWISE, THE ERINYES, THE HELPERS OF TRIAL, WILL DISCOVER HIM
91. ONE BETTER HIDE HIS IGNORANCE, BUT THIS IS DIFFICULT DURING REST AND AT PARTIES
92. THE CORPSES OF THE DEAD SHOULD BE DISPOSED OF LIKE DUNGS AND EVEN WORSE
93. DOGS BARK AT THOSE WHO THEY DON'T KNOW
94. THE SOULS SENSE IN HADES
95. IF THE SUN DIDN'T EXIST, THE EXISTENCE OF THE OTHER STARS WOULD BE ENOUGH FOR NIGHT TO EXIST
96. FOR GOD EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL AND GOOD AND FAIR, WHILE PEOPLE CONSIDER SOME UNFAIR AND SOME FAIR
97. IN A FULL CIRCLE, THE BEGINNING COINCIDES WITH THE END
98. THE EYES AND EARS OF THOSE WHO HAVE BARBAROUS SOULS ARE BAD WITNESSES FOR MEN
99. OF ALL WHO HAVE HEARD THEM SPEAK, NONE HAVE REACHED THE POINT OF KNOWING THAT WISDOM IS SEPARATE FROM ALL THINGS
100. IT IS NOT BEST FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE EVERYTHING THEY WISH FOR.
101. ILLNESS IS WHAT MAKES HEALTH SWEET AND GOOD, HUNGER MAKES SATIATION, TIREDNESS MAKES REST
102. RIGHT THINKING IS THE GREATEST VIRTUE AND WISDOM IS TO SPEAK THE TRUTH AND ACT ACCORDING TO NATURE, AS IS APPROPRIATE TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE KNOWLEDGE
103. THE ABILITY TO THINK IS COMMON TO ALL
104. THOSE WHO SPEAK RIGHTEOUSLY SHOULD DERIVE THEIR POWER FROM THAT WHICH IS COMMON TO ALL, JUST AS THE CITY DRAWS POWER FROM THE LAW
105. ALL HUMAN LAWS ARE NURSED BY ONE LAW, THE DIVINE LAW: HE PREVAILS THE REST IN ANY EXTENT AND IS SUFFICIENT FOR ALL AND SURVIVES ALL
106. TO THE SOUL BELONGS THE WORD THAT GROWS BY ITSELF
107. ALL PEOPLE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO KNOW THEMSELVES AND THINK RIGHT
108. THE MAN, WHEN DRUNK, HAS AS GUIDE A SMALL CHILD: HE STUMBLES, DOESN'T KNOW WHERE HE'S GOING, BECAUSE HIS SOUL IS WET
109. GLITTER IN THE EYES, DRY SOUL, THE MOST WISE AND EXCELLENT. OR RATHER: THE DRY SOUL IS THE MOST WISE AND EXCELLENT
110. THE DEMON THAT ACCOMPANIES EVERY MAN IS HIS CHARACTER
111. NATURE LIKES TO HIDE
112. EVEN A MESH DISSOLVES IF YOU DON'T SHAKE IT
113. WEALTH IS BLIND, IT IS THE CAUSE NOT OF VIRTUE BUT OF EVIL
114. COLD HEATS, HOT COOLS, WET DRIES, DRY BECOMES MOIST
115. EVERYTHING IS FLUID AND NOTHING IS STABLE
116. FROM ONE ALL ARE MADE AND FROM ALL ONE