火"、"河流"与"战争"——赫拉克利特的变化观新论

Fire, River and War--On Heraclitus' view of transformation

赫拉克利特认为,世界是一团永恒的活火,万事万物都处于不断运动变化之中。万物的变化存在着一种秩序,即"逻各斯"。我们认为,赫拉克利特所阐述的万物的变化有两种形式,一种是"战争"式的,另一种是"河流"式的。"火"转化为"水"为"土"以至万物,万物又复归于"火",这是"战争"式的变化;"火"之表达为"活火"是"万物皆流,无物常住",这是"河流"式的变化。也就是说,赫拉克利特的流变学说包含了两种变化形式。

Heraclitus thought, the world is an everliving fire. Everything is constantly changing and there is a constant law of transformation which is to be identified with the Logos. We think, the transformation of everything which Heraclitus claimed has two forms: one is warlike and another river-like. Fire is transformed into water and water into earth and earth into everything, and everything turns back into fire. This is a warlike transformation. Fire is referred to as 'everliving fire' which conveys the idea that all things go and nothing stays. This is a riverlike transformation. That is to say, Heraclitus' flux doctrine contains two transformation forms.