Plato Heraclitus Change

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Change is defined as the process of becoming something different, it occurs throughout the natural world and our bodies are a simple example of development and aging in the natural process. In Plato’s Cratylus it has been interpreted to say ‘Heraclitus, I believe, says that all things pass and nothing stays, and comparing existing things to a river he says you could not step twice into the same river’ (Plato, Cratylus 402a). There are problems that arise with the Plato’s interpretation of Heraclitus’ philosophy, was it Heraclitus’ intention to suggest that permanence and change are in a constant partnership or was it his suggestion that change cannot co-exist with permanence? These are some of the question that will be attempted in this essay. …show more content…

The idea of a river provides a paradigm example of constant change, however it cannot necessarily be assumed that this was Heraclitus’ view. What is evident however is Heraclitus’ idea of the unity that exists in apparent opposites as shown in B60. It would suggest that a unity is not divided otherwise opposites appear but these contraries are actually one in themselves, and so cannot be seen as separate entities. The use of a river in Plato’s interpretation of Heraclitus could simply be an example to explain the unity of opposites in terms of ‘same’ and ‘different.’ Heraclitus’ concept of apparent opposites is dependent on an equal movement; for example as night and day follow one another in a continuous cycle, Heraclitus can conclude that there exists a night-day single continuum. If the conclusion of continuum is in fact true and can be given to other opposites, e.g. hot and cold, it may have lead Heraclitus to jump to his theory that all things are therefore one. Another example is B61 which suggests that if something can have the capability to be different things within the same moment, then is there really any dichotomy between change and permanence? It would appear not. Any long lasting physical reality exists due to the constant turnover in its constituent matter and so the constancy and change are not opposed but intricately

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