Product Description

Behind the superficial obscurity of what fragments we have of Heraclitus' thought, Professor Kahn claims that it is possible to detect a systematic view of human existence, a theory of language which sees ambiguity as a device for the expression of multiple meaning, and a vision of human life and death within the larger order of nature. The fragments are presented here in a readable order; translation and commentary aim to make accessible the power and originality of a systematic thinker and the first great master of artistic prose. The commentary locates Heraclitus within the tradition of early Greek thought, but stresses the importance of his ideas for contemporary theories of language, literature and philosophy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #611690 in Books
• Published on: 1981-09-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Language Notes
Text: English, Greek

Customer Reviews

Still the standard, with good reason.
Kahn offers the fragments of Heraclitus in solid translation, with an extensive and thoughtful commentary that both takes account of a great deal of secondary literature and provides the author's own valuable insights.

Kahn's approach to the interpretation of Heraclitus is orthodox but sensitive. He appreciates Heraclitus' intentional and artful prose style, including his use of ambiguity and wordplay to create a multiplicity of meanings in many of the fragments. He also gives proper attention to the resonance between fragments, often picking up an echo of a word or image from one fragment while interpreting another.

I enjoyed and learned much from Kahn's commentary, though I would rate his overall success at drawing a systematic Heraclitean worldview from the fragments a limited success at best. In this I think he is surpassed by Roman Dilcher and perhaps M.L. West as well. However, Kahn's command of the ancient material, the secondary literature (in several languages), and the history and culture of the ancient world in general, is truly impressive. His erudition serves the reader very, very well, opening up a wealth of other sources and making connections that only someone with such a mastery of classical and archaic literature can. I would also strongly advise interested folks to hunt down the hundreds of footnotes in his already weighty commentary, as they frequently provide a gem of a comment or an important bibliographical reference.

All in all, this book is essential for any serious study of Heraclitus. Its staying power is testament to Kahn's superb work. I personally feel deeply in Professor Kahn's debt for his fine volume, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. My one and only complaint has to do with his decision to reorder the fragments and number them with Roman numerals...it's truly and deeply annoying, but if this is the only fly in the ointment, I suppose we can forgive Charles Kahn. A wonderful book.

Interesting but there are alternatives
Rather than Charles H. Kahn's 'The Art and Thought of Heraclitus: An Edition of the Fragments with Translation and Commentary' (ISBN: 052128645X), I would suggest that those who are interested in acquiring an edition of Heraclitus which gives them the Greek text with translation and commentary look for a copy of Philip Wheelwright's possibly more interesting 'Heraclitus' (ISBN 0199240221).

I would also suggest that the more scholarly inclined turn to Thomas McEvilley's 'The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies' (ISBN 1581152035) where, in Chapter Two, 'The Problem of the One and the Many,' they will find a fascinating treatment of Heraclitus which goes far beyond anything Kahn has to offer. On page 149 of this same book they will find a valuable footnote (92) which will provide them with a good idea of the quality (or lack of it) of Kahn's 'scholarship.'

As for the general reader who simply wants to read an English translation of Heraclitus, their needs will perhaps be better served by a book such as Guy Davenport's '7 Greeks' (ISBN: 0811212882) which gives an excellent translation of the complete fragments.

Davenport's translations really are superb and the 124 fragments he gives us, which are tragically all that remain of Heraclitus, take up a mere 12 pages of his book. As a bonus, the remainder of '7 Greeks' is devoted to equally fine translations of Archilocus, Sappho, Alkman, Anacreon, Diogenes, and Herondas.

Davenport's Heraclitus is pithy, pungent, and very much to the point:

16. "Awake, we see a dying world; asleep, dreams."

82. "Defend the law as you would a city wall."

97. "Life is bitter and final, yet men cherish it and beget children to suffer the same fate."

107. "Having cut, burned, and poisoned the sick, the doctor then submits his bill."

Another of Davenport's 7 Greeks, Diogenes, was for me a wonderful find and I'm still chuckling over this one:

Diogenes 109. "I've seen Plato's cups and table, but not his cupness and tableness."

The affluent student who simply must own every edition of Heraclitus should by all means acquire Kahn (and also McEvilley who translates and comments on many of the fragments). Others may find Davenport's translations adequate to their needs, somewhat more memorable than Kahn's, and his book better value for money.

man is the measure. . .
This text is not for the beginning student in philosophy or philology. As someone interested in the history of philosophy, works like this compilation/commentary by Kahn are always valuable. The aim of this text is to provide a method for organizing the fragments of Heraclitus' philosophy in a manner that differs from the original Diels-Kranz method. Kahn's translations are markedly different from the now standard translations of Kirk and Raven; the differences are intertwined with the method of organizing the order of the fragments. In assessing any particular fragment in this work, one should always consult the Kirk-Raven text on the Presocratic Philosophers, have at least a passing knowledge of Greek, have read some Heidegger, and know a good bit about the controversy surrounding the arranging of the fragments. The arrangement of Heraclitus' fragments is a project that is just as perilous as attempting to ascertain the order in which Plato wrote his dialogues. I don't particularly find this sort of lexicography to be very fruitful in terms of having definitive answers, but Kahn's arrangement here is very good at placing itself within the context of what has come before in the way of scholarship. Referring back to any particular fragment in Diels-Kranz or Kirk and Raven is easy because Kahn cross-references each of his numbered translations with their numbering systems. It is hard to challenge the authority of this work, but it is by no means the final word on Heraclitus.