Heraclitus on the Logos: Unity in Opposition

Abstract

The Logos, to Heraclitus, is a universal Law of becoming, conceived from the perpetual motion of opposition within all things. This relationship of opposites finds its locus in Fire, as, to Heraclitus, all things are modifications of Fire.[1] Understanding Heraclitus’s interpretation of the Logos requires the analysis of obscure fragments (denoted by fr.) which riddle and perplex. However, these fragments are the means by which Heraclitus’s interpretation of the Logos is to be found. This paper will analyse four fragments, aiming to demonstrate Heraclitus’s interpretation of the Logos, with particular focus on the nature of unity in opposition. Appropriately, reason is central in achieving such an analysis. However to do so, this paper shall portray the fragments, and their expression of the Logos, as being founded on reason as a unity-oriented faculty. By considering such, the four fragments can be unpacked. Ultimately, this paper argues that this use of reason is closest to Heraclitus’s intention within the fragments, namely, unity.