Analysis Of Heraclitus Applicants Of Wisdom

In fragment 80 Heraclitus says “Applicants for wisdom / do what I have done: / inquire within.” Prior to this, in fragment 2, he says, “For wisdom, listen / not to me but to the Word, / and know that all is one.” Both are aimed at those who wish to acquire or gain wisdom, and upon first glace it is easy to see how one might think the two fragments to be contradictory. Fragment 80 says “do what I have done” and fragment 2 says “listen not to me but to the word”; it seems as if he is saying to arrive at wisdom one must both listen and not listen to him. However, when looked at more closely, these fragments can be seen to not be contradictory at all. Starting at the beginning with fragment 1, he explains that understanding the Word, or logos, is the only way to true wisdom. The Word is inside everyone, but the reactions people have to the Word vary. Some try too hard to make sense of what they see inside themselves, while others do not try at all. In fragment 4 he says, “People dull their wits with gibberish, / and cannot use their ears and eyes.” This fragment shows that Heraclitus thinks that there is a major problem with

both people who do not try and people who try too hard; the one who does not try at all is only guided by his senses, while the one who tries too hard is stuck in a state where he is only attempting to use his