Heraclitus

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/heraclitus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Heraclitus born?Circa 500 BC
2. Where was Heraclitus born?Ephesus, Ionia (part of the Persian Empire)
3. What is Heraclitus known for?Philosophy of universal flux, unity of opposites, and fire as arche
4. What is the key philosophical concept?Logos (universal reason, principle, or structure)
5. What is the primary arche?Fire, representing constant transformation
6. What did Heraclitus say about everything changing?He said everything is always changing, like a river that you can’t step in twice. The river and the person stepping in are both always different.

Pre-Socratic Philosopher: An ancient Greek philosopher who lived before Socrates, focusing on cosmology and nature.
Arche: The fundamental substance or principle from which the cosmos is believed to originate.
Logos: A concept representing universal reason, order, or principle governing the cosmos.
Unity of Opposites: The doctrine that seemingly contradictory elements are interconnected and essential parts of a whole.