1. (250 words max.) Heraclitus says the following: “Of the Logos which is as I describe it men always prove to be uncomprehending” (KRS fr. 194). What is this “logos” that is so incomprehensible for human beings?
The logos describes the persisting constitution of the cosmos. Heraclitus claims the logos is “common” and perceivable, and although everything passes in accordance to the logos, many fail to comprehend it (Heraclitus, Fragment 2, 55). Heraclitus claims that to understand the cosmos, the logos is to be first understood, as it is the logos that is unchanging and gives the cosmos its permanence (Heraclitus, Fragment 1). The logos itself can be best understood as a unifying principle, a method of arrangement, or a proportion of things …show more content…
It may be tempting to discredit Parmenides as a mythologizer, but we should determine this not by the form of which he presents his ideas, but by the content of the poem. The subject matter of the poem is the inquiry into the true nature of reality, and the aim is to distinguish and investigate that which is, and that which is not (Parmenides, Fragments 2, 3) These are the two paths of which Parmenides describes, the “Path of Persuasion” and the “Indiscernible Track” respectively (Parmenides, Fragments 2, 3). The path of persuasion is the ‘way of truth’, it is that which is (Parmenides, Fragments 2, 3). Parmenides tells us that what is, is existing and knowable, thus eligible of enquiry (Parmenides, Fragments 2, 3). The latter path, however, is the ‘way of opinions’, that which is not (Parmenides, Fragments 2. 3). What is not, does not exist, is unknowable and is not eligible of enquiry. The indiscernible track will never be a viable method of enquiry, as there is no thing that can not be (Parmenides, Fragments 2, 3). What Parmenides seems to be suggesting is that when investigating reality, we ought to investigate only into what is, and avoid what is not. The nature of reality cannot have opinions or contradictions, rather, reality is, what is, and only has one truth. Parmenides argues that mortal’s perceptions and opinions of the nature of reality is mistaken, the true reality of the world is what is: an unchanging, uncreated and indestructible
The logos describes the persisting constitution of the cosmos. Heraclitus claims the logos is “common” and perceivable, and although everything passes in accordance to the logos, many fail to comprehend it (Heraclitus, Fragment 2, 55). Heraclitus claims that to understand the cosmos, the logos is to be first understood, as it is the logos that is unchanging and gives the cosmos its permanence (Heraclitus, Fragment 1). The logos itself can be best understood as a unifying principle, a method of arrangement, or a proportion of things …show more content…
It may be tempting to discredit Parmenides as a mythologizer, but we should determine this not by the form of which he presents his ideas, but by the content of the poem. The subject matter of the poem is the inquiry into the true nature of reality, and the aim is to distinguish and investigate that which is, and that which is not (Parmenides, Fragments 2, 3) These are the two paths of which Parmenides describes, the “Path of Persuasion” and the “Indiscernible Track” respectively (Parmenides, Fragments 2, 3). The path of persuasion is the ‘way of truth’, it is that which is (Parmenides, Fragments 2, 3). Parmenides tells us that what is, is existing and knowable, thus eligible of enquiry (Parmenides, Fragments 2, 3). The latter path, however, is the ‘way of opinions’, that which is not (Parmenides, Fragments 2. 3). What is not, does not exist, is unknowable and is not eligible of enquiry. The indiscernible track will never be a viable method of enquiry, as there is no thing that can not be (Parmenides, Fragments 2, 3). What Parmenides seems to be suggesting is that when investigating reality, we ought to investigate only into what is, and avoid what is not. The nature of reality cannot have opinions or contradictions, rather, reality is, what is, and only has one truth. Parmenides argues that mortal’s perceptions and opinions of the nature of reality is mistaken, the true reality of the world is what is: an unchanging, uncreated and indestructible