The Misanthropic Philosopher
Heraclitus of Ephesus (535 – 475 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosopher who advanced the notion that the essence of the universe is constant change. To that end, he coined the phrase “no man ever steps into the same river twice“. It is based on the notion that everything, like the ever moving droplets of water drifting downstream on a river, is in constant motion and flux, even if the motion is not readily perceptible. He also propagated the notion of a “unity of opposites”, whereby the universe is a system of balanced exchanges in which all things are paired in a relationship with things that exhibit contrary properties.
A highly introspective man, Heraclitus did not come by his philosophy through learning at the hands of another philosopher, but was self-taught. Critical of other philosophers, Heraclitus had a dim view of humanity, loathed mobs and democracy, and preferred instead the rule of a few wise men. It was a concept that Plato later distilled into the notion that the ideal ruler would be a philosopher-king. Heraclitus thought wealth was a form of punishment, so he wished that his fellow Ephesians, whom he hated, be cursed with wealth as punishment for their sins.
