Chaos and order : a short analysis on chaos and its effects from a philosophic point of view

Abstract

The river (for Heraclitus) is a metonymic figure of the entire universe (the part for the whole). It shows that the principle of all things, as conceived by Heraclitus, is clearly not just that which causes them to exist, in the sense of bringing them into being and setting them off in the process of change; it is a factor that is present (and, indeed, only manifests itself) in the process as a whole. For Heraclitus, the idea that rhythm is a constitutive element of all things, is not a merely theoretical discovery, but one of great practical importance. He was perhaps the first thinker to stress that knowledge of truth will alter one's life-style. People should act on the basis of the understanding achieved by theoretical activity, rather than on the basis of conformity with established tradition. The wise, at least, will live their lives in accordance with the principle that correct theorizing discovered and formulated. Hence, aware of the unity of all things constituted by the rhythm which endured through all change, they seek to harmonize their lives with it. [...]