Process Theology and Heraclitus
Jim Dillon
The following essay will explore the similarities between the ideas found in the philosophy of Heraclitus, and the underlying concepts of process theology. The similarity of ideas associated with the philosophy of Heraclitus and those of Process Theology are due to the existential nature of each system. Heraclitus uses particular empirical truths to speak about universal truths experienced in the world. Process Theology uses existential faith to explain the existence of God and thus the universe. The similarities reside in areas where experience is very similar to all, but exact to none. The essay will discuss the thoughts presented by each philosophy on ideas of change, relativity, and remembrance. Change is the necessary idea for all existential philosophies because it allows for relativity, which in turn allows for remembrance.
Change
Heraclitus’ idea of change is essential not only to his metaphysics, but his philosophy asa whole. He viewed change as the essential notion of existence. His insistence on fire as the absolute in his philosophy is the epitome of change. Heraclitus is also noted for associating this ever changing world with the ever flowing rivers which dissect it. His discovery of change as the fundamental principle of reality is what makes his philosophy so pertinent today.
Although the complete works of Heraclitus are not obtainable, his fragments are extremely consistent on the idea of constant change, constant flux. In fact this is one of the few areas where he remains precise, and non-contradictory. Change is the constant theme of Heraclitus’ philosophy. Such statements as: “We are and are not the same for two consecutive instants.” (qtd. in Burnet 151) “The sun is new every day. (qtd. In Burnet 135)” Each statement indicates the phenomena of change which is pertinent to the particular and universal.
Fire, the eternally self-existent reality underlying all appearance, is the crux of Heraclitus’ metaphysics and philosophy (Benn 37). Fire was chosen specifically because it is the epitome of the change that is existentially displayed throughout being (Burnet 145). Because fire is always changing, objectively fire flickers, causing heat and light to change, in substance, it always burns new fuel and creates new smoke and ash. Heraclitus believes that an “ever-living fire” is understandable as becoming all things, while all things are always returning to it (Burnet 145). Even the ultimate fire, the sun is new each and every day (qtd. in Burnet 135).
The fragments display an almost incessant statement of change associated with rivers. Perhaps rivers are, in fact, the best natural phenomena with which to compare change because they are always flowing and thus changing, and causing change.
“You could not step twice in the same rivers; for other and yet other waters are ever flowing on” (qtd. in Nahm 70).
“Other things enter the same rivers, and other waters pour in upon them” (qtd. in Nahm 70).
“You could not step twice in the same rivers; for other and yet other waters are and are not” (qtd. in Nahm 73).
The specific situational intent of these sentences seems obviously clear. Surely, one can step in a wet area called the river many, many times, but the water molecules directly affected are constantly changing because of the fact that the river is none other than the constant flow of water molecules down hill. While the river is contiguous to a certain extent, abstractly, specifically it constantly changes because of the flow, which is its major determinant. How it is differentiated from all other bodies of water is its determination. However, the universal, and most important implication of these statements announces the constant change experienced throughout being. Not that just rivers and streams flow, but everything flows, every thing is in constant flux, change. Change is the universal principle. “Herakleitos held, in fact, that any given thing, however stable in appearance, was merely a section in the stream, and that the stuff composing it was never the same in any two consecutive moments. (Burnet 146)”
Process Theology, being an existentially based philosophy, is also centered on the idea that change is constant and inescapable in human existence. This is due, mostly, to the work of Alfred North Whitehead. The theory suggests that all actualities are processes, and those opposed are abstractions which are not “full-fledged actualities” (Cobb 14). Thus a thing exists through a process of individual sections. Whitehead called these sections entities. Entities “are momentary events which perish immediately upon coming into being” (Cobb 14). Whitehead considers this notion perpetual perishing. (This idea becomes especially important when discussing eschatological subjects.) The creation of each new entity records the movement of transition from one particular to another, which allows for the creation of an abstract. “Personal human existence is a “serially ordered society” of occasions of experience” (Cobb 15). A person is a contiguous set of entities, not a constant one. The nominal words used to express this process may only refer to it abstractly. Whitehead defines the process of concrescence as happening all at once from a temporal point of view, but not as enduring a small time unchanged, but requiring a small amount of time to become. (Cobb 15) A breakdown of this process being would suggest that all beings have a past of actualized events which are synthesized with a new creative property, becoming the present, which in turn projects future possibilities. “Time flows asymmetrically from the past through the present into the future” (Cobb 16). Every moment of becoming is a new moment, an authentic occurrence, just as every being is newly created every moment.
Relativity
The idea of change, flux, is a constant theme for both philosophies because they display the constant theme of existence. Change allows for interaction between existents. In fact, change necessitates the shared participation of events. In this way, change is the basis of relativity of all things, for it is through change that they affect and are affected. For Heraclitus this is universal relativity, for process theologians a familial relativity.
“If all things turned into smoke, the nostrils would distinguish them”
(qtd. in Nahm 70). Again one must
believe Heraclitus’ use of particular statements to suggest universal
implications. Doing so allows the
discussion of the simple particular and the complex universal truth addressed within. This idea would be that of a universal
relativity. This fragment deals with the
change of a substance into smoke and the change of the sensation of smell to an
image of the original substance. In
order to accomplish this task, a universal relativity is implied. This is due to the existential nature of
change. For as yet, change is always
new, it always retains a relativity to its past. “That which material bodies present the
appearance of a perpetual flowing from one form to another, assumes in our
sensations, appetites, and ideas the still higher aspect of a universal
relativity” (Benn 39). Change is what
allows for all of the complex relationships experienced throughout existence.
The eschatological notion of the
Structure
Similar ideas expressed by both philosophies include: the idea of the all in one, and one in all; the idea of a unity of opposites; the idea of a similar beginning and end. Heraclitus develops these ideas because they are essential to the idea of the logos. Process theologians develop these ideas because they are essential to their idea of God. Both ideas, logos and God, are the structure of each respective system, and are comprised of these and other ideas.
Logos
Logos is Heraclitus’ perception of the structure of the universe, the governing laws and forces of all things. The most important idea associated with logos is the universe’ constant becoming, or renewing. He expresses the importance of understanding that this structure is dependent upon the unity of all things. Logos is perceived to be rigid, but ever changing; limitless inside of bounds. Heraclitus’ perception of the universe’s becoming is often compared to a river that is always changing.
The concept of unity is very important when thinking of the Logos. All things participate in the unity of the whole. This idea is expressed in the fragment, “out of all things there comes a unity, and out of a unity all things” (Fragment 10, Aristotle, de mundo 5, 369b20). This unity is not only common to similar structures; it is strongest in complete opposites. (Fragment 54, Hippolitus Ref IX, 9,5) For it is more difficult to balance opposite forces.
Heraclitus expresses a certain property of rigidity associated with Logos. After all Logos is the structure in which all occurrences become. This rigidity is best expressed when the idea of constant flux is brought to the table. For the occurrence of constant flux instead of a standstill is ever becoming. However, a much more intense idea of this rigidity is expressed in the line, “One day is like another” (Diogenes Laertius ix, 9-10). However, this must be meant to show the perceived constant of flux.
Logos describes a structure in which the universe operates as a rigid one. However, this does not mean that there is no change with in. In fact, not only is the universe in constant flux, its structure is as well. All things are constantly in the state of becoming. According to Heraclitus a man can’t step into the same river twice, but the same river will also tend to overflow its banks. (Plato, Cratylus 402a) Logos, much like God, is an ever-changing structure for an ever changing, and ever renewing of the plane of existence. This flux tends to revolve in circles, “For souls it is death to become water, for water it is death to become earth; from earth water comes to be, and from water soul” (Fragment 36, Clement Strom. VI, 17,2).
Logos is a basic perception of the structure of the Universe. It can be compared to a governing body that allows all events that occur. Logos involves a certain amount of rigidity in the notion that all things must constantly be becoming. The initial perception and expression by Heraclitus of the idea of the universe remaining in constant flux has since been a very important part of philosophy.
“Men do not understand how what is divided is consistent with itself; it is a harmony of tensions like that of the bow and lyre” (qtd. in Nahm 71).
“You should combine things whole and not whole, what is drawn together and what is drawn apart, the harmonious and the discordant; from all one, from one all. (qtd. in Nahm 72).
These fragments display Heraclitus’ notions of the unity of opposites and of the all in one and one in all. The unity of opposites allows those that are different to unite. The notion of one in all and all in one, suggests the relativity experienced in the world. It is due to the existential fact that the particular is influenced by all of the other particulars in the world, just as the world is, or a single particular affects all particulars. Universal relativity is the notion that every thing has an effect on everything else in the universe. Plato believed Heraclitus saw that reality was at once one and many (Burnet 144).
Heraclitus also discusses the notion of the end of existence as the same as the beginning. This idea is portrayed in Fragment 70, “In the circumference of a circle the beginning and end are common” (Burnet 70). Yes, we all know that a circle does not have a beginning nor end and thus are similar in that way. So also Heraclitus suggests that existence shares a common beginning and end.
God and
Jesus
Just as the Logos provides structure to the universe for Heraclitus, God provides the structure to the existence in process theology. In process theology, God is a being in process, just as any rock, plant, or animal (Ogden 58). God exists in each and every moment of becoming. The neoclassical God is an affective being, but also an affected being, a loving being. To say that God exists as a process is to say that the being has a past, which synthesized with a new creativity from future possibilities, creates a new moment of becoming in his life process, which in turn projects more future possibilities. Much like Heraclitus’ first principle, fire, which becomes and consumes all. However, unlike all other existents, God’s past never fades, his memory never tarnishes; God’s past is created anew each and every moment of becoming, and nothing loses significance (Ogden 59). The God of process theology could be mythologized as a giant snowball perpetually accumulating the entire universe. God is the basis of all being; it is his life in which we participate (Ogden 220). In him we have our beginning and our end.
God’s love causes him to include all existents in his life. This love also causes God to make the best decisions for his existence, which includes all existents, in each and every moment of becoming (Ogden 61). Most importantly; however, God’s love causes him to be effected by our actions, because we participate and have meaning in his life. God accepts each and every existent into his life, and only wishes for the acceptance of the invitation to eternal communion (Ogden 220).
Jesus Christ is considered to be the eschatological event for Bultmann because He; the messiah, brings forth the end of the old world and the beginning of the new world (Hodgson 338). Jesus is the eschatological event, not in a historical sense, but because the creation of new being in God is repeated each and every moment of becoming (Hodgson 339). Jesus Christ lived the ultimate life of freedom because he remained open to the future possibilities presented to him by God, and he made all decisions upon the basis of love. It could have only been his love that kept him suffering on the cross. Jesus is considered half God, half man because of his God-like love, and his experience with freely abolishing temptations of the flesh in his life. Frank suggests that all Christians who are “in Christ” are above time and space in spirit, but are still subjugated to the worldliness of the flesh, much as Jesus existed (Hodgson 340). Frank also suggests that Jesus initiated the eternal event that recurs eternally in the soul of Christians where Christ is born, suffers, dies, and attains eternal life (Hodgson 340). It is through following the incarnation, or fleshing-out, of God; Jesus, that one begins to commune with God and participate in his family. For Jesus teaches love for one another.
Remembrance
The idea of being remembered forever according to the way one creates one’s own existence is common in both philosophies. While the idea is similar it is also different because Heraclitus speaks of destiny and process theologians speak of eternal life. However, this is not the mythological eternal life, living in heaven walking around on gold streets.
Hearclitus speaks of remembrance in the 121st fragment, “A man’s character is his destiny” (qtd. in Nahm 74). A man’s character may be called his ethos, or manner of being. This is not a stagnant notion, but a changing one. However, there is a general consistency throughout existence. Destiny is often associated with fate and determinism, so that a man’s fate is the way he lives his life.
The eschatological theme of everlasting life provides the ultimate significance to existential life. Because of God’s love, we are included in his existence and thus gain ultimate meaning for each and every moment of becoming in our lives, because each and every decision affects the totality of the universe; the eternal existence of God. Every moment of becoming God created each and every existent anew, thus beings are always included in every present. Humans are significant because each and every moment of creative becoming will have an effect on God, and thus the entire universe everlastingly. A good decision results in the joy of God, a bad in the sorrow of God (Ogden 222). It is this relativity that allows for human significance. Ultimately the eschatological theme of everlasting life is realized through the eternal inclusion of each and every moment of becoming for each and every existent in the life of God. An existent’s significance is generated through his, her, or its, existence, by the fact of his or her remembrance by God (Ogden 230).
Conclusion
Heraclitus’ philosophy, as expressed by the fragments, and process theology discuss similar topics because both are based upon experience. Change, relativity, structure, and remembrance, are common themes to both philosophies because they are existential truths.
Change is an inescapable existential truth, through which life is possible. In fact, the necessary relativity expressed by both philosophies is due to change. Remembrance is common to each because it is what we all seek in the end; to be remembered, to have an affect on the totality of existence. Thus the crucial ideas of any existential philosophy must speak on the topics of change, relativity, and remembrance.
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