"Panta Rhei": The doubtful interpretation of a non-existent aphorism
Abstract
This article conducts a philological and philosophical investigation into one of the most famous quotes attributed to the Pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus: "Panta Rhei" (Everything flows). The author argues that this specific phrase is never actually recorded in the surviving fragments of Heraclitus’s work but is instead a later summary or paraphrase —likely originating from Simplicius or Cratylus—that has come to represent Heraclitean thought in the popular imagination. The study examines the authentic Heraclitean fragments concerning change and the "unity of opposites," such as the famous river fragment, to demonstrate how the "Panta Rhei" aphorism potentially oversimplifies or misrepresents Heraclitus's deeper ontological claims about the Logos and the underlying stability within constant change.
Article Details
- How to Cite
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Perros-Apostolopoulos, P. (2024). "Panta Rhei": The doubtful interpretation of a non-existent aphorism. Ηθική. Περιοδικό φιλοσοφίας, (19), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.12681/ethiki.39658
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- No. 19 (2024)
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- Articles
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