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Remembering Heraclitus

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_Remembering Heraclitus_ is an exposition of the philosophy of Heraclitus as revealed to us in the few fragments of his that have been preserved. The book is quite profound and asks us questions that concern the very nature of man and his universe. The author describes Heraclitus as a thinker who rejected life in the political sphere for a life removed from the Greek polis where he could engage in speculation and his own researches into the process in all things. Central to his thought is the idea of Logos. This has influenced the thought of many future generations, as well as the Christian religion. By achieving contact with the Logos, man can achieve a more harmonious existence. Heraclitus can be understood using the concept of apophasis, or "affirmation through negation". This is a way of telling us what something is, by telling us what it is not. The author explains how this works for Heraclitus in much detail. The author also discusses such terms as physis (nature), ethos (human nature), and telos (purpose) and how they all play an essential role in the thinking of Heraclitus. He also discusses how Heraclitus' thinking is applicable to the modern day understanding of consciousness, modern day physics, society, and the historical understanding of the development of philosophy. Finally, the author discusses how one should view the notion of esotericism, esoteric thought, and whether we should reject, or alternatively, idolize the past. Heraclitus is indeed a fascinating figure, a philosopher, an alchemist, a teacher, and a profound thinker who has left his mark on Western civilization (and is even popular among some Eastern philosophers). And, this book is a fine survey of the meaning of his thought.

In Remembering Heraclitus, educator and scholar Richard Geldard reveals Heraclitus as one of the principal sources of Western mystical thinking. With new translation of all the essential fragments of Heraclitus writings, readers are treated to both an academic and a brightly articulate study that present very real and contemporary existential and phenomenological challenges. Enhanced with appendices on "The Problem of the Text"; "The Essential Fragments"; Glossary of Greek Terms"; and "Suggested Readings", Remembering Heraclitus is rewarding and very highly recommended reading for students Greek antiquarian history, literature, culture, philosophy, religion, and metaphysics.

....someone has given some long overdue credit to this brilliant pre-socratic philosopher.
Geldard has done a good job articulating and intelligently interpreting Heraclitus though, mildly clouded by his personal understanding and experiences.
In any case this is one of the best attempts to explain a very difficult and often confusing subject matter. The suggested readings at the back of the book were particularly helpful to me.

Geldard does an admirable job of breathing life ("inspiring") into the few remaining fragments that we have from this foundational philospher. This book is a must-read if you are truly interested in intellectual history. Heraclitus stands as a hero of Western thought, challenging the mythopoetic conventions of the Archaic world, and really making possible the later investigations of the Sophists and Socrates himself. While I must confess to losing my way during some of Geldard's metaphysical arguments, such as our neural systems are some kind of antennae for tuning in the Logos as some kind of broadcast consciousness, I found the section on the Ethos as both compelling and relevant. I also recommend Beckett's "A New Stoicism" for those wishing to pursue a rigorous examination of the relevance of early ethical thought to our lives today, a period not dissimilar to the transition from the Archaic to the Classical period in Greece.

Richard Geldard is the artist here. ... not Heraclitus. If you read other Geldard books you will see a man in search of truth. That is what I enjoy. We have no way of truly knowing the intent of Hericlitus's Fragments but Geldard molds the hints into an amazing thesis. In Remembering Heraclitus Geldard states " Materialist's insists that the brain is the only source of consciousness - which is the same as saying the radio box you own is the sole source of the programming" This simple analogy makes it easy for we the people to understand the focus of this search for truth...I highly recommend his books on Emerson also..