| Who is it? | Philosopher |
| Birth Place | Ephesus, Greek |
| Died On | c. 475 BC (age c. 60) |
| Era | Ancient philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Ionian |
| Main interests | Metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics, cosmology |
| Notable ideas | Logos, "everything flows", fire is the arche, idios kosmos, Unity of opposites |
Heraclitus, a renowned Greek philosopher, is projected to have a net worth ranging from $100K to $1M in 2024. Known for his profound thoughts and philosophical wisdom, Heraclitus has left an indelible mark on the world of philosophy. Despite his significant contributions to knowledge, his financial worth remains relatively modest. Nonetheless, the true value of Heraclitus lies in his intellectual legacy, which continues to inspire and shape the thinking of many generations.
The first of prayers, best known at all the temples, is mostly for riches... Seeing this then do you not commend the one sage Democritus for laughing... and the master of the other school Heraclitus for his tears?
Wisdom is "to know the thought by which all things are steered through all things", which must not imply that people are or can be wise. Only Zeus is wise. To some degree then Heraclitus seems to be in the mystic's position of urging people to follow God's plan without much of an idea what that may be. In fact there is a note of despair: "The fairest universe (κάλλιστος κόσμος kállistos kósmos) is but a heap of rubbish (σάρμα sárma lit. "sweepings") piled up (κεχυμένον kechuménon, i.e. "poured out") at random (εἰκῇ eikê "aimlessly")."
As with other pre-Socratics, his writings survive now only in fragments quoted by other authors. These are catalogued using the Diels–Kranz numbering system.
