Presocratic Philosophy & Class Writing Cycle Flashcards

Vocabulary terms covering classroom assignment structure, Heraclitean concepts of logos and flux, river fragments, the Ship of Theseus thought experiment, and Parmenides.

Logos

In the philosophy of Heraclitus, the central principle or order operating in the cosmos that governs all things and can be understood through human capacity.

All Things Are One

The Heraclitean concept that the universe functions as one unified grand system in which every individual aspect and process is woven together.

Everlasting Fire

In Heraclitus's thought, both a physical element in the dynamic transformation cycle and the primary symbol for the constant flux and governing principle of the cosmos.

Dry Soul

According to Heraclitus, the wisest and best condition of the human soul, closely associated with reason, knowledge, and the symbolic quality of fire.

Fragment B 12

A Heraclitean river fragment stating that 'stepping into rivers staying the same, other and other waters flow,' demonstrating how an entity remains what it is by changing its contents.

Fragment B 91

A river fragment traditionally associated with Heraclitus stating that 'it is not possible to step twice into the same river,' often interpreted as a claim that no permanence exists.

Coincidence of Opposites

A theoretical concept in Heraclitus's philosophy, highlighted in river Fragment B 12, where opposing states (sameness and change) coexist to maintain a system or entity.

Ship of Theseus

A famous thought experiment concerning persistent identity across time, asking whether an object remains the same if all of its original parts are gradually replaced.

Parmenides

A Presocratic philosopher who composed his work in verse and served as the conceptual opposite to Heraclitus by emphasizing permanence over flux.

Homeric Hexameters

The traditional poetic meter used in classical works like Homer's Iliad and adopted by Parmenides to write his philosophical poem.

Seven Stages of the Writing Project

The structured classroom writing process where completing the first six stages earns 30 out of 50 total points, leaving the remaining 20 points for the final revised essay.