The Transition from ‘Mythos’ to ‘Logos’: The Case of Heraclitus

Abstract

In its origin and early formation, philosophy was closely related with mythical disclosure of the world and the transcendent. During this early period of Greek history (sixth century B.C.) poets and sages filled the shoes of the theologians. With the arrival of the new thinkers, the poets lost their monopoly in all areas. Thus, their poetic narration about the gods and their teachings about conventional values were placed under heavy pressure and criticism. As a result, mythical meaning, with its revered symbols and rituals gradually began to lose its validity as an authentic cultural force. To be sure, despite their differences, one should not overlook the fact that the boundaries between the poets and philosopher were not clearly differentiated. In this paper, I shall first show the continuity and discontinuity between the old and the new traditions and will point out how philosophy originated against the background of mythic culture. Second, I shall try to show Heraclitus’s role in the process of this transition. Third, I shall explore Heraclitus’s doctrine of the logos and demonstrate that his teachings constitute both a critique and an appropriation of mythical culture. I am convinced that his work is best approached if studied in the context of the struggle between the old and the new “scientific” tradition. In this connection, I shall advance the thesis that Heraclitus was one of the chief architects of the new school and yet, at the same time its strongest critic. Thus, we find in his work, mythic/ scientific “ways” sometimes clash and at times form unity. Heraclitus resembles Jean-Jacques Rousseau in one respect: on the one hand, he was one of the leading champions of the new age; and on the other hand, he was pretty much a child of the old culture. Thus, some of his teachings evolved from and were directed against both the old and new traditions. Heraclitus advocated rationalism and was the first one to warn against it. Keywords: Logos, I – It, I -- Thou, transcendent, immanent, flux, the one, ordained, identity of opposites