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Category: Heraclitus

Introduction to Heraclitus: Life, Historical Context, and Philosophy of Change

Heraclitus of Ephesus, a pre-Socratic philosopher, profoundly influenced early Greek thought with his exploration of change and reality. Born around 535 BCE in Ephesus, a key city in Ionia, he lived during an era marked by a shift from mythological to rational explanations of the world. Known for his doctrine of flux (“everything flows”) and the unity of opposites, Heraclitus argued that change is the essence of the universe. Despite his reclusive lifestyle and conflicts with Ephesus’s leaders, his cryptic writings gained posthumous recognition, solidifying his role as a seminal philosophical figure.