The Mind of God

Raven Bradley

Philosophy 211
October 4, 2010
Heraclitus of Ephesus was one of the most famous Pre-Socratic Greek philosophers of
his time. Although extremely wise and imaginative, he had a reputation for being
obscure, perplexing, and vague. Known as “The Riddler,” Heraclitus explored questions
concerning knowledge, the human condition, and the nature of the universe. Heraclitus
incorporated crucial themes into his philosophies that were influenced by his
predecessors, including Xenophanes, Alcmaeon, Hesoid, Pythagoras, and Hecataeus.
Although Heraclitus mostly criticized and disagreed with these antecedents, had it not
been for those men, he would not have come to the fundamental themes that are
presented in his philosophies today.

One of the most fundamental themes in Heraclitus’ writings is unity in opposites.

In fragment 46, Heraclitus describes the relationship between a bow and lyre. This
physical manifestation of his law of opposites is explained, in that, in order for the bow
to function, there must be two opposing forces: the tension in the string, being exactly
balanced by the outward tension of the bow, produces a unified and consistent
instrument and therefore allows the bow to perform its function. In 65, Heraclitus
returns again to the metaphor of the bow, instead focusing on the bow in tension
representing life, and is in fact the opposite of the purpose of the bow itself, which is to
bring death. In fragment 75, “Changing, it rests”, Heraclitus is explaining, again, how
opposing forces are often unrecognizable. Like the bow and the lyre, and the sight of
fire, (which is the ultimate physical materialization of logos) the forces appear static, yet
in fact, they are dynamic. This doctrine of unity in opposites is Heraclitus’ way of
pointing out that every object is subject to change, and is always undergoing variation.
Another fundamental theme Heraclitus created is the concept of Logos. Logos, he
explains, is a single divine law of the universe, which rules and guides the cosmos.
Literally, it is interpreted as ‘account’, ‘word’, ‘to give explanation’. One who
understands the logos can understand the workings of the cosmos. In fragment 44,
Heraclitus explains that through logos, all things are one, yet they are all individual. In
another, he explicates, “One must follow what is common… but people must live as if
they had a private understanding of their own.” Logos is what we as individuals see,
what we explain the world to be, our own reality. Yet, this should be interwoven and
connected to what everyone as a whole sees, the concrete reality we all encounter; the
truth of the natural world. These principles that Heraclitus establishes, of a unity in
opposites, logos, god, fire, knowledge, etc, all began with the questions of his
predecessors.

Among one of the most influential philosophers who had an impact on

Heraclitus’ writings was Xenophanes. He philosophized that there is a single god who is
unmoving, all seeing, all hearing, and all thinking, who controls everything with his own
mind, and who sees everything hidden from human perception. In fragment 8, “God is
one, greatest among gods and men, not at all like mortals in body or thought”,
Xenophanes is describing a divine being that not only has a physical appearance, but
also has an all-knowing mind. These thoughts of a “God” knowing all the things we
humans could never know somewhat unsettled Heraclitus, and he began to question
this claim. Heraclitus began to question about a link from the divine and unknowing, to
human knowledge. Heraclitus ridiculed Xenophanes, claiming, “There is a possibility of
acquiring sure and certain knowledge.” He explained that all that is known in the world
requires a certain unity in all things. This unity is what he deemed the ‘unity of
opposites’. Heraclitus challenged Xenophanes’ opinions on an individual and all knowing
God, and replaced them with a concept that God is instead everything surrounding us;
the laws of the cosmos, the unity in opposites, what makes everything tick, the ‘magic’
behind the universe. He elaborates this in fragment 83, “God is day and night, winter
and summer, war and peace, satiety and hunger, but changes the way <fire> when
mingled with perfumes, named according to the scent of each.” The Milesians had a
large impact upon Heraclitus’ writings. The three main thinkers of this age were Thales,
Anaximander, and Anaximenes. The three philosophers hypothesized about a single
solitary ‘stuff’ that is in everything that composes the natural world around us. Thales
argued that the basic ‘stuff’ is water, and water is in everything in one form or another.
Anaximander thought this ‘stuff’ is apeiron, an indefinite and boundless substance, and
unknowable to humans. Anaximenes describes this ‘stuff’ to be aer, which is air in one
form or another, also indefinite and boundless, but not as indistinct as Anaximander’s
definition. As Aristotle explains, “Just as our soul, being air, holds us together and
controls us, so do breath and air surround the whole cosmos”, this deducts that
Anaximenes was the most advanced of the Milesians. And, just as Anaximenes learned
from his predecessor’s questions and claims, so did Heraclitus. Heraclitus took this
concept of a single solitary ‘stuff’ that makes up the natural world and began searching
for a unity in the cosmos. This unity in opposites, he concludes, is a single, unchanging
law of the cosmos, which makes up the natural world, and surrounds all else.

Heraclitus furthered the fundamental ideas all of his predecessors created, and
without those original ideas, he would not have come to the conclusions we read in his
fragments today. These philosophers have become the most important people in
history, allowing us to continue to question the world, and our surroundings. Maybe
one day we will finally discover the absolute truth that exists behind our universe. “If we
find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason — for then
we would know the mind of God.” – Stephen Hawkings