This paper deals with Heraclitus’ political thought. First, in discussing the conception of cosmic justice, it argues that it is a mistake to separate Heraclitus’ political thought from his cosmological thought. Second, the paper works out two basic principles of Heraclitean political thinking by offering a close analysis of fragment B 114 as well as related texts. According to Heraclitus, (1) there is a standard common and relevant to all human beings in the political realm, namely, the logos, and (2) ruling well is a matter of grasping the logos and using it as a guide in all things political. Finally, the paper tackles the notoriously difficult question of whether there are certain forms of political order towards which Heraclitean thought is more or less inclined. According to what may be called the traditional view, Heraclitus is seen as a supporter of an aristocratic political order, while according to what may be called the revisionist view, Heraclitus is classified as a supporter of a democratic political order. The paper concludes that while Heraclitean philosophy is compatible with a plethora of different forms of political order, including democratic ones, the two basic principles of Heraclitean politics that were distinguished above are more conducive to aristocratic forms of political order.
...MoreSimilar Citations
Article
Chiara Ferella;
Jochen Althoff;
Föllinger Sabine;
Georg Wöhrle;
(2020)
War Steers the World: The Metaphor Domain of Conflict in Heraclitus’ and Empedocles’ Representations of the Cosmos
(/isis/citation/CBB546812093/)
Article
Christian Vassallo;
(2023)
Measuring the End: Heraclitus and Diogenes of Babylon on the Great Year and Ekpyrosis
(/isis/citation/CBB812515203/)
Article
MacCoull, L. S. B.;
(2006)
Menas and Thomas: Notes on the Dialogus de scientia politica
(/isis/citation/CBB001031150/)
Article
Winterer, Caroline;
(2010)
Model Empire, Lost City:Ancient Carthage and the Science of Politics in Revolutionary America
(/isis/citation/CBB001030563/)
Chapter
Abry, Josephe-Henriette;
(2011)
Cosmos and Imperium: Politicized Digressions in Manilius' Astronomica
(/isis/citation/CBB001201035/)
Chapter
Donald Harper;
(2017)
Science in Ancient China
(/isis/citation/CBB703422430/)
Book
Hill, Jane A.;
(2013)
Experiencing Power, Generating Authority: Cosmos, Politics, and the Ideology of Kingship in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
(/isis/citation/CBB001451978/)
Book
Rehak, Paul;
Younger, John G.;
(2007)
Imperium and Cosmos: Augustus and the Northern Campus Martius
(/isis/citation/CBB001020336/)
Book
Ephesus, Heraclitus of;
(2001)
Fragments: The Collected Wisdom of Heraclitus
(/isis/citation/CBB000101676/)
Article
Romero, Gustavo E.;
(2012)
Parmenides Reloaded
(/isis/citation/CBB001252709/)
Chapter
Francesco Fronterotta;
(2022)
La metafora eraclitea del fiume e la sua interpretazione in Platone e Aristotele
(/isis/citation/CBB047222730/)
Book
Marcovich, Miroslav;
(2002)
Heraclitus: Greek Text with a Short Commentary
(/isis/citation/CBB000741001/)
Article
Richard Neels;
(2018)
Elements and Opposites in Heraclitus
(/isis/citation/CBB605097296/)
Article
Zaborowski, Robert;
(2003)
Sur le fragment DK 22 B 85 d'Héraclite d'Ephèse
(/isis/citation/CBB000670903/)
Book
O'Connell, Erin;
(2005)
Heraclitus and Derrida: Presocratic Deconstruction
(/isis/citation/CBB000600216/)
Article
Philip Haas;
(2017)
Das ‚politische Volontariat‘ des Arnold Clapmarius. Praktische Erfahrung und der Anschein praktischer Erfahrung als Qualifikation für die politischen Wissenschaften um 1600
(/isis/citation/CBB640295474/)
Article
Hasselberg, Ylva;
(2013)
Who Killed the Ideologies or Were They Just Resting? Tingsten, Technocratism and Ideology in Sweden 1930--1970
(/isis/citation/CBB001201213/)
Article
Thibaud Boncourt;
Paulo Ravecca;
(2020)
Power, politics, and the development of political science in the Americas
(/isis/citation/CBB320781687/)
Article
Brogi, Alessandro;
(2012)
Ambassador Clare Boothe Luce and the Evolution of Psychological Warfare in Italy
(/isis/citation/CBB001213838/)
Article
Jamison, Andrew;
(2010)
Climate Change Knowledge and Social Movement Theory
(/isis/citation/CBB001221292/)
Be the first to comment!