Heraclitus

@Philosophers, Timeline and Life ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Heraclitus was a Greek philosopher known as the ‘Weeping Philosopher’ because of his general contempt for mankind Greek Intellectuals & Academics Philosophers INTJ Heraclitus was a Greek philosopher who was an independent thinker and unlike other ancient philosophers, he is not considered to belong to any particular school of thought. Born into an aristocratic family, he described himself as self-taught and was unsparing in his criticism of his predecessors and contemporary thinkers and philosophers. He was a loner who suffered from bouts of melancholia which prevented him from completing several of his works. His personality was characterized by a general contempt for mankind which coupled with the obscure nature of his works earned him the nickname the ‘Weeping Philosopher’. The ambiguous nature of his writings makes them open to several interpretations that are often of conflicting nature. He believed in the ever changing nature of the universe and the unity of opposites. His works have been influential in the development of the concept of ‘Logos’ which he considered a principle of order and knowledge. Regarded as one of the most important pre-Socratic philosophers, he was famous for departing from the accepted norms and traditions of his days and criticizing the generally accepted conventional wisdom of others who were deemed to be “wise” men by the society. Even though his own work was influenced by the works of his predecessors, he is regarded as a unique thinker who contributed immensely to the development of Western Philosophy.

Personal Details

Birthday: 535 BC Nationality: Greek Famous: Intellectuals & Academics, Philosophers, INTJ Birth Place: Ephesus Gender: Male Father: Blosôn / Herakôn Born in: Ephesus Information Detail Birthday 535 BC Nationality Greek Famous Intellectuals & Academics, Philosophers, INTJ Birth Place Ephesus Gender Male Father Blosôn / Herakôn Born in Ephesus Famous as Philosopher Died at Age 60

Ephesus

Heraclitus born at Unsplash Birth Place

Heraclitus was a loner and did not have any students. He suffered from bouts of melancholia. Unsplash Personal Life

During his later years he suffered from dropsy. Frustrated at the physicians’ inability to find a cure, he treated himself with cow manure which resulted in his death. Unsplash Personal Life

Not much is known about Heraclitus’s birth and early life except for the fact that he was born into an aristocratic family in Ephesus (now in Turkey). His father’s name was either Bloson or Herakon. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

As a youngster, he used to play knucklebones with other youths in a temple and considered kingship duties a burden. He abdicated the throne in favour of his brother. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

Whatever is known about Heraclitus is known from the writings of Diogenes Laertius, who was a biographer of ancient Greek philosophers. According to Diogenes, Heraclitus was a hearer of Xenophanes though Heraclitus himself claimed to be self-taught. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

Heraclitus is estimated to have lived and worked during the late 6th century BCE as inferred by his writings. Heraclitus has heavily criticized Homer, Hesiod, Pythagoras and Xenophanes who had flourished during the 6th century BCE or earlier, thus suggesting that he existed during the late 6th century BCE. Unsplash Later Years

He had an inherent dislike for humanity and viewed the majority of human beings as ignorant and lacking in knowledge. He believed in breaking away from the accepted conventions and traditions and developing his own views. Unsplash Later Years

He was a man of extreme views which he expressed in form of ambiguous phrases. His works are regarded as ‘riddles’ open to numerous interpretations. Unsplash Later Years

No complete compilations of his works exist. His works exist only in form of fragments and sentences as quoted by other authors. Unsplash Later Years

He had an unconventional approach towards wisdom and presented his works in the form of riddles and puzzles that contained hidden insights. The deeper understanding of his works depended upon the comprehension of his readers. Unsplash Later Years

He wrote a treatise ‘On Nature’ which was divided into three discourses—on nature, on politics and on the universe. The book was deposited in the temple of Artemis which served as a library during the ancient times. The book became very famous and many future philosophers referred to it. Unsplash Major Works

Information	Detail
Birthday	535 BC
Nationality	Greek
Famous	Intellectuals & Academics, Philosophers, INTJ
Birth Place	Ephesus
Gender	Male
Father	Blosôn / Herakôn
Born in	Ephesus
Famous as	Philosopher
Died at Age	60

Heraclitus

Greek

535 BC

Biography

Personal Details

Ephesus