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Thursday, August 5, 2021

Heraclitus: On the Importance of Strife and Wars

“War is the father of us all, King of all. Some it makes Gods, some it makes men, some it makes slaves, some free.” ~ Heraclitus.

"Homer was wrong in saying, “Would that strife might perish among gods and humans.” For if that were to occur, all things would cease to exist." ~ Heraclitus. 

Heraclitus is taking a realist view of mankind. History tells us that wars and strife are the key pillars of progress (innovation, discovery, creativity, invention, and the pursuit of happiness). Without battling the old establishment, we cannot create a new world. It is on the debris of the old civilization that the edifice of a new civilization is built. It needs a supernova, the most destructive event in the universe, to create new stars and planets.

By annihilating an old civilization, we clear the space for the rise of a new civilization. Not all new civilizations are better than the ones that have been annihilated—in the process of constant rebirth or evolution, there are bound to be some dead-ends.

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