A quotation from Heraclitus
Quotation
The road up and the road down are one and the same.
Philosophical Context
Pre-SocraticIoniansHeraclitus
Everything flows. The world is fire, and stillness is a lie we tell ourselves.
Heraclitus wrote in riddles and refused to explain them. He believed the universe is a process, not a thing, an eternal fire that kindles and goes out in measure. Opposites need each other. Day defines night. War fathers peace. The logos holds it all together, but most people walk through life asleep to it. He was difficult, solitary, and possibly the most original thinker before Socrates.
Heraclitus vs. Parmenides
Eternal Flux vs. Changeless Being: Does everything change, or is change an illusion?
Before Socrates turned philosophy toward ethics, Heraclitus of Ephesus and Parmenides of Elea fought the most radical metaphysical battle in history. Heraclitus…
Explore Debate→More Lines from Heraclitus
More from Heraclitus→Understanding This Quotation
What does Heraclitus mean by this quotation?
Everything flows. The world is fire, and stillness is a lie we tell ourselves. Heraclitus wrote in riddles and refused to explain them. He believed the universe is a process, not a thing, an eternal fire that kindles and goes out in measure. Opposites need each other. Day defines night. War fathers…