Heraclitus and Information Systems 1 Malcolm Crowe The fragments of Heraclitus that remain to us are intriguing to information systems practitioners. It is hard to find a thinker in any age whose preoccupations seem to match ours so well. In this short paper I would like to outline eight areas where there are resonances with Heraclitus' thought. Kahn has pointed out that in every age people have adopted Heraclitus as a precursor of their thinking, projecting onto the fragments their own culture and prejudices. Even the Stoics, direct inheritors of Heraclitus' thought, lost no time in reinterpreting the texts to suit their developing worldview. It is interesting that one of the more recent translators, Schleiermacher, invented the notion of the hermeneutic circle in an attempt to give interpretation a firmer basis. Like many other editors, however, I believe that my own edition has jettisoned as much baggage as possible in an effort to let Heraclitus's words speak for themselves. They are in a dense kind of free verse, each group of lines having a regular metric structure, full of alliteration, wordplay, irony and a delight in apparent contradictions. Kahn believes that the surviving fragments may well represent most of Herclitus' book, on the rather sensible grounds that the ancient citations constantly repeat (albeit with some errors or glosses) the same small set of fragments. It seems to me that he nevertheless frequently falls into the trap of taking two or three fragments in isolation and building whole chapters of philosophy upon them. I believe it is better to find ways of making the fragments say less rather than more, by placing them together, and interpreting them in harmony. What is left after that is still striking enough, and the following eight areas, of interest to information systems, are only some of the points that are explicit in the fragments. The references in square brackets are to the fragments in Kahn's numbering. Man is not rational He disagrees with the rationalistic explanations of human behaviour: people do not learn from their mistakes or behave according to rules [4]. Many writers on management such as H.A. Simon, and contemporary armchair politicians, seem to believe that people work to a rational program: they won't price themselves out of the market, they won't seek unrealistic pay rises that destroy the business, and so on. It is more prudent to disregard behavioural predictions that depend on functional reasoning of this sort. Thinking is shared He is clear that thinking things out is a shared activity [31], and requires enquiry and debate to be achieved. The heroic mode of philosophical enquiry where a single individual confronts the mysteries of the cosmos is alien to Heraclitus. Today, many of us feel that the analyst cannot simply look at an organisation or its processes single handed. Things that seem different may be the same Differences in perspective may make things that are the same seem different, or be described in opposing terms. At least three examples of this are well-attested in the fragments: the road uphill and downhill [103], a wheel travels in a line while rotating [74], the sea is life-giving for fish but deadly for humans [70]. 1 This article originally appeared in Systemist 18 (1996), pp. 161-176, and Computing and Information Systems 3 (1996), pp. 97-106. The layout of this document is not necessarily identical to the original. University of Paisley 1996 1
Arguments about what is better depend even more on who is doing the judging. Here his examples include asses' preference for straw over gold [71], the man being considered foolish by a god, as a child might be by a man [57], and others. Both of these areas caused a great deal of trouble for most later philosophy (from Plato/Socrates on). Nowadays, it seems prudent for information systems analysts at least to tread carefully about judgements of worth or utility. Things constantly change For Heraclitus, change is everywhere. Philosophers after him have seemed to look for more stable systems of ideas or classification, seeing change (if they consider it at all) as the result of sudden calamity or intervention. But with Heraclitus change seems to be the natural order of things, and people fail to notice that the constant change around them [78] (as of the water in the river [50]). Today, some systems analysis and software engineering techniques to presuppose that things will always be as they seem now, so that current practice can be enshrined in rigid procedures and mechanisms: while other information systems professionals believe it more prudent to provide support for the changes inevitable in the business. There are two aspects to this: first, the mechanisms provided need to work even as the business process changes, and second, the process of change should itself be facilitated if this is the nature of the business. Heraclitus tells it is wisdom to understand how such change occurs. The doctrine of opposites He points out the unity of opposites in a larger design. The most famous and well-attested of his riddles is the unity of night and day [19], previously considered to be opposites: for Heraclitus they are merely aspects of the daily cycle. The phrase he uses for things being one (esti hen) is reserved for this sense. Change, for him, demonstrates the unity of what might seem to be opposites: because solid can liquefy [39], this shows that slid and liquid (earth and water, in his terms) cannot be fundamentally different; because living things die, this shows that the life and death are part of a larger process [93]. In information systems practice where views conflict it is helpful to look at the field of debate on which the conflict occurs, and what that teaches us, rather than simply come down on one side or the other. The everliving fire He extends this argument to assert that ultimately all things form a single entity, the cosmos or natural order: the everliving fire of transformation [37], always breaking out and dying away. It is a striking insight to focus on the fire in this way, as almost in a state of rest while all it touches is changed. We can imagine that the Information Systems Analysis processes in an organisation should work the same way, changing everything they touch, now focusing on one aspect, now another. The fiery mind He is suspicious of received wisdom [18]. He sees the mind building on what we see and hear [14], seeking for himself [28]. With clear thinking one can almost hear the crackle of transforming fire. Information systems professionals aspire to radical insights on the nature of the business and the information support required to support it through the inevitable changes. Graspings Finally, I believe the puzzling fragment about syllapsies [124] presents his view of concepts as provisional and always being part of a longer process of thinking things out: when we generalise from instances to create a new concept we end up with something that no longer corresponds with anything we have ever seen and yet represents a convergence of what we have seen. This seems simpler and more useful than the Socratic notions of Ideas, especially since it seems to emphasise the provisional nature of such graspings, rather than relating to some Kantian a priori category. 2
The resulting notion of entities that sum up many things goes rather well with the strange kind of unity that he earlier infers from the transformation into opposites. What he did not say It is just as important for us to recognise what is not in the fragments, and avoid misattribution of things to Heraclitus. Other people may have been doing so for over two thousand years, but that is no excuse. There is no notion in the fragments (or in any ancient writing for that matter) of the relationship between wholes and parts; as mentioned above, the hermeneutic circle, despite its Greek-looking name, dates from around 1800. The notion of things being in a dynamic equilibrium seems not to be in the fragments, nor that of things staying the same by changing (fire continues by changing things). Scholars differ, of course, but it does seem that the word logos in Heraclitus stands simply for the argument of his book [1], whereas the cosmic order, kosmos [37], is everliving fire: the notion of a Godlike logos in John's gospel is rather different. Many of Heraclitus' concerns are now remote from us: his view of all gods being one [123], his comments on ethics [65, 104], astronomy [45] and chronology [95] being others. These are parts of the cultural environment for his thinking that have changed over the years. But the processes of change of that culture, which he identifies so succinctly, have not changed much. References The numbers in brackets above are references to the fragments in Kahn's edition. Bywater, I: Heraclitii Ephesii Reliquae, Oxonii 1877 Crowe, M. K.: The verses of Heraclitus of Ephesus, Computing and Information Systems, 3 (1996), 97-106. Diels H: Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 5 th edition by Kranz, W., Berlin 1934. Kahn, C H.: The Art and Thought of Heraclitus, Cambridge 1979. Marcovich, M: Heraclitus, Los Andes University, Merida, 1967 Russos, E. N.: Heraclitus Fragmenta, Athens, 1971 Schleiermacher, F: Herakleitos de Dunkle von Ephesos, Museum der Altertums Wissenschaft, e.d F A Wolf, Ph. Buttmann, I, Berlin 1807, p.315-533. 3
The verses of Heraclitus of Ephesus Malcolm Crowe Kahn suggests that the surviving fragments may well represent most of the original. This observation has inspired the tentative reconstruction offered here. All authentic quotations from Heraclitus (fl. 500 BC) are included in the following text; material shown in square brackets on the English side has been added by the editor; and some small fragments and guesses in Marcovich's edition have been added in brackets to the Greek. Marcovich has pointed out by implication that Heraclitus wrote in free verse rather than straight prose. Heraclitus' words are of legendary opacity, and all of the fragments can be translated in many ways: the translation given here is partly new. The numbers are references to the fragments in Kahn's translation. The ordering of the fragments, apart from the opening paragraph, is of course conjectural: the relationship of the ordering given here with other translations is shown in the appendix. του δε λογου τουδ εοντο αιει αξυνετοι γινονται ανθρωποι και προσθεν η ακουσαι και ακουσαντε το πρωτον γινοµενων γαρ παντων κατα τον λογον τονδε απειροισιν εοικασι περωµενοι και επεων και εργων τοιουτεων οκοιων εγω διηγευµαι κατα ϕυσιν διαιρεων εκαστον και ϕραζων οκως εχει τους δε αλλους ανθρωπους λανθανει οκοσα εγερθεντες ποιουσιν οκωσπερ οκοσα ευδοντες επιλανθανονται αξυνετοι ακουσαντες κωϕοισιν εοικασι ϕατις αυτοισι µαρτυρει παρεοντας απειναι Although this account holds forever men fail to comprehend it, both before they hear it and when they first hear. Even though all happenings are in accordance with this account, people behave like the unlearned when they experience works and words; whereas I set them forth, distinguishing everything according to its nature and telling how it is. But then most people are as unconscious of what they do awake as they are forgetful of what they do asleep: Failing to comprehend after hearing, they learn like the deaf: the saying is their witness, absent while present. του δε λογου δ εοντος ξυνου ζωουσιν οι πολλοι ως ιδιαν εχοντες ϕρονησιν ου ϕρονεουσι τοιαυτα πολλοι οκοιοις εγκυρεουσιν ουδε µαθοντες γινωσκουσιν εωυτοισι δε δοκεουσι οκοσων οψις ακοη µαθησις ταυτα εγω προτιµεω κακοι µαρτυρες ανθρωποισιν οϕθαλµοι και ωτα βαρβαρους ψυχας εχοντων Although this account is shared, the many live as though thinking things out were a private matter. [Contrary to Archilochus], the many do not think about things they way they find them, and do not gain understanding from their own experiences, but simply believe their own opinions. Gaining learning from what we see and hear: this I do prefer. But eyes and ears are bad witnesses for men with barbaric minds: 4
ακουσαι ουκ επισταµενοι ουδ ωι µαλιστα διηνεκως οµιλουσι τουτωι διαϕερονται ποταµοισι τοισιν αυτοισιν εµβαινουσιν ετερα και ετερα υδατα επιρρει not knowing how to listen, neither can they speak. They are at odds with what they have most continuous involvement: as they step into the same rivers, other and still other waters flow over them. ου ξυνιασιν οκως διαϕεροµενον εωυτωι συµϕερεται παλιντροπος αρµονιη οκωσπερ τοξου και λυρης 78 θαλασσα υδωρ καθαρωτατον και µιαρωτατον ιχθυσι µεν ποτιµον και σωτηριον ανθρωποις δε αποτον και ολεθριον γναϕειωι οδος ευθεια και σκολιη µια εστι και η αυτη οδος ανω κατω µια και ωυτη αρµονιη αϕανης ϕανερης κρειττων They fail to recognise how things can diverge while being brought together; it is a harmony that changes back, like that of the bow and the lyre. The sea is the purest and the foulest water: for fish drinkable and life-sustaining; for men undrinkable and deadly. The path of the carding wheel is straight and crooked. The way uphill and downhill is the same. Harmonies that are hidden are more powerful than those that are obvious. πολυµαθιη νοον ου διδασκει Ησιοδον γαρ αν εδιδαξε και Πυθαγορην αυτις τε Ξενοϕανεα τε και Εκαταιον εν Πριηνηι Βιας εγενετο ο Τευταµεω ου πλεων λογος η των αλλων οι πολλοι κακοι ολιγοι δε αγαθοι εις εµοι µυριοι εαν αριστος ηι δοκεοντα ο δοκιµωτατος γινωσκει ϕυλασσει κυνες και βαυζουσιν ον αν µη γινωσκωσι βλαξ ανθρωπος επι παντι λογωι επτοησθαι ϕιλει τις αυτων νοος η ϕρην δηµων αοιδοισι πειθονται και διδασκαλωι χρειωνται οµιλωι ουκ ειδοτες οτι οι πολλοι κακοι αιρευνται εν αντι απαντων οι αριστοι κλεος αεναον θνητων οι δε πολλοι κεκορηνται οκωσπερ κτηνεα Much learning does not teach common sense, for they would have taught Hesiod and Pythagoras, and also Xenophanes and Hecataeus. Bias son of Teutames who lived in Priene. He is of more account than the rest: The many are worthless, good men are few. One is ten thousand if he is the best. The esteemed man merely estimates; but maintains he understands. Only dogs bark at what they do not understand: A fool loves to get excited at any new teaching. What wit or thinking do they have? They believe the popular poets and take the mob for their teacher, not knowing that The many are worthless. The best choose one thing in exchange for all, everflowing fame among mortals; but most men have sated themselves like cattle. 5
αξιον Εϕεσιοις ηβηδον απαγξασθαι πασι και τοις ανηβοις την πολιν καταλιπειν οιτινες Ερµοδωρον ανδρα εωυτων ονηιστον εξεβαλον ϕαντες ηµεων µηδε εις ονηιστος εστω ει δε µη αλλη τε και µετ [µη επιλιποι Εϕεσιους πλουτος ιν εξελεγχοιντο πονηροι εοντες] εξηπατηνται οι ανθρωποι προς την γνωσιν των ϕανερων παραπλησιως Οµηρω [αστρολογον ος εγενετο των Ελλενων σοϕωτερος παντων εκεινον τε γαρ παιδες ϕθειρας κατακτεινοντες εξηπατησαν ειποντες οσα ειδοµεν και καταλαβοµεν ταυτα απολειποµεν οσα δε ουτε ειδοµεν ουτ ελαβοµεν ταυτα ϕεροµεν τον τε Οµερον εϕασκεν αξιον εκ των αγωνων εκβαλλεσθαι και ραπιζεσθαι και Αρχιλοχος οµοιως διδακαλος δε πλειστων Ησιοδος τουτον επιστανται πλειστα ειδεναι οστις ηµερην και ευϕρονην ουκ εγινωσκεν εστι γαρ εν Πυθαγορη Μνησαρχου ιστοριην ησκησεν ανθρωπων µαλιστα παντων και εκλεξαµενος ταυτας τας ουγγραϕας εποιησατο εαυτου σοϕιην πολυµαθειην κακοτεχνιην κοπιδων αρχηγος The Ephesians deserve to be hanged to the last man, every one of them, and leave the city to the boys, since they drove out their most successful man, Hermodorus, saying Let no one be the most successful among us; if he is, let him be so elsewhere and among others - ciple, they will empty the city.] May wealth never fail you, men of Ephesus, so that your wickedness be proved! Men deceive themselves in their knowledge of the obvious, even Homer the [blind] astronomer, considered wisest of all Greeks. For he [died of grief over a riddle when he] was fooled by boys killing lice who said: what we see and catch we leave behind; and what we neither see nor catch we carry away. Homer deserves to be expelled from the contest and beaten with the same staff as Archilochus. For most people, Hesiod is the teacher: they know him as knowing most, though he did not understand day and night: they are one: - en, the nights shorten in equal measure]. Pythagoras son of Mnesarchus pursued inquiry further than all other men, but choosing only what he liked from these compositions, made a wisdom of his own: much learning, artful knavery. That prince of impostors! Σιβυλλα µαινοµενωι στοµατι αγελαστα ϕθεγγοµενη 34 ο αναξ ου το µαντειον εστι το εν Δελϕοις ουτε λεγει ουτε κρυπτει αλλα οηµαινει οκοσων λογους ηκουσα ουδεις αϕικνειται ες τουτο ωστε γινωσκειν οτι σοϕον εστι παντων κεχωρισµενον ανθρωποισι πασι µετεστι γινωσκειν εωυτους και σωϕρονειν χρη εν µαλα πολλων ιστορας The Sybil with raving mouth utters things mirthless. The lord [Apollo] whose oracle is in Delphi neither declares nor conceals, but gives a sign. Of all those whose accounts I have heard, none has gone so far as this, to understand what is wise, set apart from all things. It belongs to all men to know themselves and to think things out; careful inquirers into a great many things: 6
εδιζησαµην εµεωυτον I went on my own search. σωϕρονειν αρετη µεγιστη και σοϕιη αληθεα λεγειν και ποειν κατα ϕυσιν επαιοντας χρυσον οι διζηµενοι γην πολλην ορυσσουσι και ευρισκουισιν ολιγον ϕυσις κρυπτεσθαι ϕιλει εαν µη ελπηται ανελπιστον ουκ εξευρησει ανεξερευνητον εον και απορον απιστιηι διαϕυγγανει µη γινωσκεσθαι αµαθιην κρυπτειν αµεινον ξυνον εστι πασι το ϕρονεειν ξυν νοωι λεγοντας ισχυριζεσθαι χρη τωι ξυνωι παντων οκωσπερ νοµωι πολις και πολυ ισχυροτερως τρεϕονται γαρ παντες οι ανθρωπειοι νοµοι υπο ενος του θειου κρατει γαρ τοσουτον οκοσον εθελει και εξαρκει πασι και περιγινεται µαχεσθαι χρη τον δηµον υπερ γε τον νοµου οκοσπερ τειχεος υβριν χρη σβεννυναι µαλλον η πυρκαιην ηθος γαρ ανθρωπεοιν [δαιµων ουκ εχει γνωµας θειον δε εχει Ηλιος ουχ υπερβησεται µετρα ει δε µη Ερινυες µιν Δικης επικουροι εξευρησουσιν ωρας αι παντα ϕερουσι ετη τριακοντα ποιουσι την γενεαν ηους και εσπερας τερµατα η αρκτος και αντιον της αρκτου ουρος αιθριου Διος 45 ει µη ηλιος ην [ενεκα των αλλων αστρων] ευϕρουν αν ην ο ηλιος νεος εϕ Thinking things out is the greatest excellence and wisdom: to act and speak what is true, perceiving things according to their nature. Seekers of gold must dig up much earth and find little. for things love to hide their nature He who does not search the unsearchable will not find ways in what is trackless and unsolved. What cannot be known escapes understanding: Whereof we are ignorant, we should hide our lack of knowledge; Thinking things out is shared by all. Speaking with understanding they must hold fast to what is shared by all, as a city holds to its law, and even more firmly. For all human laws are nourished by one law, a divine one. It prevails as it will and suffices for all and is more than enough. The people must fight for the law as for their city wall Crime must be extinguished faster than a blazing fire. Man's nature, his spirit, has no set purpose, but the divine has. The sun will not transgress his measures. (If he does, the Furies, ministers of Justice, will find him out.) Seasons which bring all to birth, thirty years for a generation, [and 10800 for the great year.] The limits of Dawn and Evening is the Bear; and opposite the Bear, the Warder of bright Zeus [is the star Arcturus]. If there were no sun, for all the stars, it would still be night. The sun is new every morning, 7
το µη δυνον ποτε πως αν τις λαθοι; εν το σοϕον επιστασθαι γνωµην οτεη κυβερνησαι παντα δια παντων νοµος και βουληι πειθεσθαι ενος τωι µεν θεωι καλα παντα και δικαια ανθρωποι δε α µεν αδικα υπειληϕασιν α δε δικαια Δικης ονοµα ουκ αν ηιδεσαν ει ταυτα µη ην Δικη καταληψεται ψευδων τεκτονας και µαρτυρας πολεµος παντων µεν πατηρ εστι παντων δε βασιλευς και τους µεν θεους εδειξε τους δε ανθρωπους τους µεν δουλους εποιησε τους δ ειδεναι χρ τον πολεµον εοντα ξυνον και δικην εριν και γινοµενα παντα κατ 82 [But] how will one hide from that which never sets? The wise is one, knowing the plan by which all things are steered through all. It is law also to obey the counsel of one. For god all things are fair and just, but men have taken some things as unjust, others as just. If it were not for these things, they would not have known the name of Justice. Justice will catch up with those who invent lies and those who swear to them. War is father and king of all; and some he has shown as gods, others men; some he has made slaves, others free. One must realise that war is shared and conflict is justice, and that all things come to pass in accordance with conflict. τα νοµιζοµενα κατ ανθρωπους µυστηρια ανιερωστι µυουνται καθαιρονται δ αλλω αιµατι µιαινοµενοι οκοιον ει τις εις πηλον εµβας πηλωι απονιζοιτο µαινεσθαι δ αν δοκοιη ει τις αυτον ανθρωπων επιϕασαιτο ουτω ποιεοντα και τοις αγαλµασι δε τουτεοισιν ευχονται οκοιον ει τις τοις δοµοισι λεσχηνευοιτο ου τι γινωσκων θεους ουδ ηρωας οιτινες εισι 117 ει µη Διονυσωι ποµπην εποιουντο και υµνεον αισµα αιδοιοισιν αναιδεστατα ειργαστ αν ωυτος δε Αιδης και Διονυσος οτεω µαινονται και ληναιζουσιν εν το σοϕον µουνον λεγεσθαι ουκ εθελει και εθελει Ζηνος ονοµα 118 The mysteries current among men initiate them into impiety. They are purified in vain with blood, those polluted with blood, as if someone who stepped in mud should try to wash himself with mud. Anyone who notices him doing this would think he was mad. And they pray to images as if they were chatting with houses, not understanding what gods or even heroes are like. If it were not Dionysus for whom they march in procession and chant the hymn to the genitals, their action would be most shameless, But Hades and Dionysus are the same, him for whom they rave and celebrate the festival of Lenaia. The wise is one alone, unwilling and willing to be spoken of by the name of Zeus. 8
ο θεοσ ηµερη ευϕρονη χειµων θερος πολεµος ειρηνη κορος λιµος αλλοιουται δε οκωσπερ ελαιον οκοταν ουµµιγηι θυωµασιν ονοµαζεται καθ The god: day and night, winter and summer, war and peace, satiety and hunger. It alters, as when mingled with perfumes, and gets named by each according to his wish. κοσµον τονδε ουτε τισ θεων ουτε ανθρωπων εποιησεν αλλ ην αει και εστιν και εσται πυρ αειζωον απτοµενον µετρα και αποσβεννυµενον µετρα 37 παντα το πυρ επελθον κρινει και καταληψεται χρησµουσυνην και κορος µεταβαλλον αναπαυεται πυρος ανταµοιβη τα παντα και πυρ απαντων οκωσπερ χρυσου χρηµατα και χρηµατων χρυσος ουκ εµου αλλα του λογου ακουσαντας οµολογειν σοϕον εστιν εν παντα ειναι πυρος τροπαι πρωτον θαλασσα θαλασσης δε το µεν ηµισυ γη το δε ηµισυ πρηστηρ θαλασσα διαχεεται και µετρεεται εις τον αυτον λογον οκοιος προσθεν ην η γενεσθαι γη [πυρος θανατος αερι γενεσις και αερος θανατος υδατι γενεσις ψυχρον θερεται θερµον ψυχεται υγρον αυαινεται καρϕαλεον νοτιζεται The cosmic order man, but has always been and always will be: fire everliving, for ever breaking out here and dying out there. A breaking fire will pick out and catch up with all things, hunger and satiety, it rests by changing. All things are a payment for fire, and fire for all things, as goods for gold and gold for goods. Listening not to me but to the argument, it is wise to agree rather that all things are one. The changes of fire: first sea; but of sea half is earth, half lightning storm. The sea dissolves, and measures up to the same amount as was there before it became earth. The death of fire is birth for air, and the death of air is birth for water. Cold warms up, warmth cools down, wetness dries up, dryness becomes damp. ανηρ νηπιος ηκουσε προς δαιµονος οκωσπερ παις προς ανδρος παν ερπετον πληγηι νεµεται ταδε παντα οιακιζει κεραυνος υες βορβορωι ηδονται µαλλον η καθαρωι υδατι 72 ονους ουρµατ αν ελεσθαι µαλλον η χρυσον [βοες ορβοις ηδονται µαλλον η µελετι] A man is considered foolish by a god, as a child by a man. All beasts are driven to pasture by blows: the thunderbolt of heavenly fire pilots all things. Swine delight in mire more than clean water, Asses prefer garbage to gold, Cattle delight in bitter vetch rather than honey, 9
σαρµα εικηι κεχυµενων ο καλλιστος κοσµος The fairest order in the world is a heap of random sweepings. οι ιατροι τεµνοντες καιοντες επαιτιωνται µηδεν αξιον µισθον λαµβανειν ταυτα εργαζοµενοι και αι νοσοι νουσος υγιειην εποιησεν ηδυ και αγαθον λιµος κορον καµατος αναπαυσιν Doctors cut and burn, complain that they receive no worthy fee for the same effects as the diseases! It is disease that makes health sweet and good, hunger satiety, weariness rest. ψυχης πειρατα ιων ουκ αν εξευροιο πασαν επιπορευοµενος οδον ουτω βαθυν λογον εχει αυη ψυχη σοϕωτατη και αριστη ανηρ οκοταν µεθυσθηι αγεται υπο παιδος ανηβου σϕαλλοµενος ουκ επαιων οκη βαινει υγρην την ψυχην εχων ψυχηισιν θανατος υδωρ γενεσθαι υδατι δε θανατος γην γενεσθαι εκ γης δε υδωρ γινεται εξ υδατος δε ψυκη θυµωι µαχεσθαι χαλεπον ο γαρ αν θεληι ψυχης ωνειται ανθρωποις γινεσθαι οκοσα θελουσιν ουκ αµεινον ανθρωποσ εν ευϕρονηι ϕαος απτεται εαυτωι αποσβεσθεις οψεις ζων δε απτεται τεθνεωτος ευδων εγρηγορως απτεται ευδοντος θανατος εστιν οκοσα εγερθεντες ορεοµεν οκοσα δε ευδοντες υπνος ταυτο τ ενι ζων και τεθνηκος και εγρηγορος και καθευδον και νεον και γηραιον ταδε γαρ µεταπεσοντα εκεινα εστι κακεινα παλιν µεταπεσοντα ταυτα ανθρωπους µενει αποθανοντας ασσα ουκ ελπονται ουδε δοκεουσιν You will not find the limits of the mind by going, even if you travel over every road, so deep is its argument. A dry mind, the wisest and best. When drunk, a grown man is led by a beardless boy, stumbling, not knowing where he is going, his mind is wet. For the mind it is death to become water, for water it is death to become earth; out of earth water springs, out of water the mind. It is hard to fight against the heart s desire; for whatever it wants it gets and the mind loses. [It is said: the sweetest thing is to get your desire, but] it is not better for human beings to get all they want. A man strikes a light for himself in the night, when his sight is put out. Living, he touches the dead in his sleep; waking, he touches the sleeper. Death is all things we see awake; all we see asleep is sleep. The same: living and dead, waking and sleeping, young and old. For these transposed are those, and those transposed are these. What awaits men at death they do not expect or even imagine. 10
αθανατοι θνητοι θνητοι αθανετοι ζωντες τον εκεινων θανατον του δε εκεινων βιον τεθνεωτες µοροι µεζονες µεζονας µοιρας λαγχανουσι 100 αρηιϕατους θεοι τιµωσι και ανθρωποι γενοµενοι ζωειν εθελουσι µορους τ εχειν και παιδας καταλειπουσι µορους γενεσθαι ενθα δ εοντι επανιστασθαι και ϕυλακας γινεσθαι εγερτι ζωντων και νεκρων αι ψυχαι οσµωνται καθ ει παντα καπνος γενοιτο ρινες αν διαγνοιεν αιων παις εστι παιζων πεσσευων παιδος η βασιληιη τω τοξωι ονοµα βιος εργον δε θανατος ξυνον αρχη και περας επι κυκλου συλλαψιες ολα και ουκ ολα συµϕεροµενον διαϕεροµενον συναιδον διαιδον εκ παντων εν και εξ ενος παντα Immortals are mortal, mortals immortal, living the others death, dead in the others life. Corpses should be thrown out quicker than dung. Greater deaths gods and men honour those who fall in battle. Once born they want to live and have their fates; and they leave children behind born to become their fates, rising up to become wakeful watchers of living men and corpses; their souls smell [blood, of offerings] in Hades: if all turned to smoke, the nostrils would sort them out. Lifetime is a child at play, moving pieces in a game. Kingship belongs to the child. The bow has the name bios, life; its work is death. Shared are the beginning and end around a circle. Concepts: wholes and not wholes, convergent divergent, consonant dissonant, from all things a unity and from this unity all things [are made]. 11
Kahn Russos Diels-Kranz Marcovich Bywater Schleiermacher 1 1 1 1 2 47 2 2 34 2 3 3 3 25 2 23b 92 48 4 3 17 3 5 2 14 5 55 5 13 16 7 107 13 4 22 17 19 1g 90 p.520 5 4 72 4 93 50 41 12 40a 42 21 78 28 51 27 45 27 70 37 61 35 52 74 34 59 32 50 103 35 60 33 69 28 80 29 54 9 47 36 18 18 40 16 16 13 62 99 39 100 112 15 59 100 104 101 111a 71 63 96 49 98 113 85 23 28a 20 118a 8a 61 10 97 22 115 5 60 11 87 109 117 68 97 93 29 95 111b 71 64 104 121 105 114 46 105 125a 106 22 8 56 21 47a 23 105 63a 119n p.345 21 21 42 30 119 p.345 19 45 57 43 35 25 19 129 17 17 14 26 20 81 18 138 34 92 75 12 9 33 15 93 14 11 10 27 84 108 83 65 11 29 116 15f=23e 106 p.520 12
9 17 35 7 49 28 16 101 15 80 73 32 112 23f 107 p.479 8 12 22 10 115 5 10 30 123 8 10 7 13 18 11 7 6 86 14 86 12 116 12 107 9 95 110a 108 1 31 113 23d 91a p.478 30 24 114 23a 91b 18 65 102 44 103 100 19 104 101 43 102 103 16 114 92 119 94 121 57 55 87 78 90 96 66 44 65 94 52 29 30 42a 67 100 64 34 p.400 95 A19 108b 87-9 45 66 120 62 30 31 46 49 99 60 31 32 48a 64 6 58a 32 29 122 82 16 81 27 40 54 86 41 85 19 44 66 103 33 104 110 45 68 88 102 91 61 p.409s 69 48 23 45 60 69 87 22 28b 19 118b 8b 83 33 53 29 44 p.408a 82 32 80 28 62 35 115 55 14 87 124,125 p.525 117 54 5 86 130,126 116 56 15 50 127 70 118 85 32 84 65 11 123 57 67 77 36 37 58 30 51 20 25 121 83 66 82 26 120 65 79,55 28,24 p.430 13
40 60 90 54 22 41 36 27 50 26 1 38 59a 31a 53a 21 25 39 59b 31b 53b 23 26 41 76 6.6E+02 25 p.372,376 49 68 126 42 39 57 89 79 92a 97 67 76 81 11 80 55 37 119 80 64 79 28 72a 38 13 36a 54 71 39 9 37 51 4 38 125 124 107 73 50 58 46 57,58 67 74,47 110-111 71,44 104 39 35 70 45 67 71 109 71 118 68 74-76 60-62 106 72 117 69 73 59 102 69 36 66 68 49 105 73 85 70 105 58 90 52 26 48 77 64 89 53 21 49 64 42 93 44 88 41 78 38bis 84 77 27 74 122 52 92 51 62 47 67 50,51 88 79 96 76 85 43 96 95 25 97 101 53 100 94 24 96 102 54 98 97 20 99 86 55 110 76 63 73 123 111 98 72 112 31 7 78 37 24 94 90 52 93 79 79 40 48 39 66 56 124 26 10 25 59 37bis 14
References Only Kahn, Marcovich, and Russos have been studied directly in creating the above version. Bywater, I: Heraclitii Ephesii Reliquae, Oxonii 1877 Diels H: Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 5 th edition by W. Kranz, Berlin 1934 Kahn, C H.: The Art and Thought of Heraclitus, Cambridge 1979 Marcovich, M: Heraclitus, Los Andes University, Merida, 1967 Russos, E. N.: Heraclitus Fragmenta, Athens 1971 Schleiermacher, F: Herakleitos de Dunkle von Ephesos, Museum der Altertums Wissenschaft, ed. F.A. Wolf, Ph. Buttmann, I. Berlin 1807, pp.315-533 15
M. K. Crowe is a Head of Department at the University of Paisley. 16