HERACLITUS’ DISCURSIVE AUTHORITY

Abstract

His enigmatic thought has led to many interpretations, which in turn have led to their own important developments in Western philosophy.1 On the other hand, his often radical statements have with equal frequency led to his simple dismissal as an eccentric. That dismissal is frequently involved in questions of philosophy’s discursive features, a question that is controversial even to frame.2 Hence much could be gained from an examination of the discursive features of Heraclitus, and in particular one deceptively simple question: why did his contemporaries take him seriously? To answer this, we must first examine what else they took seriously.