Heraclitus (c. 500 BC) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from Ephesus, a city in the Persian Empire. He significantly influenced ancient and modern Western philosophy, impacting figures like Plato, Aristotle, and Hegel. Known as "the obscure" and "the weeping philosopher", he was recognized for his cryptic style and paradoxical ideas.
Heraclitus is famous for his doctrine of change, encapsulated in the phrase "Everything flows" (panta rhei). He believed that reality is in constant flux and that opposites define each other, forming a unity through conflict. His most well-known saying, "No man ever steps in the same river twice", reflects this perspective. He also emphasized logos, a rational principle governing the universe.
Unlike earlier philosophers who sought a fundamental substance, Heraclitus saw fire as the primary element symbolizing transformation. His ideas contrasted with Parmenides' belief in static being. Considered a misanthrope, he distanced himself from society and was critical of religious practices and philosophers like Pythagoras and Hesiod.
Heraclitus' writings, though mostly lost, survive in fragments quoted by later thinkers. His enigmatic philosophy continues to be a subject of study, influencing various fields, from metaphysics to existentialism.