Heraclitus's Flux Argument

Question 1

Heraclitus’s Flux Argument

Answer 1

1. TR is YR.
2. TR is TW
3. YR is YW
4. [So] TR is YW
5. [So] YW is TR
6. [So] YW is TW.
7. YW isn’t TW.
8. [So] YR isn’t TR.
9. If (8), then the Flux Thesis is true.
10. The Flux Thesis is true.

Question 2

Flux Thesis

Answer 2

Ordinary objects do not exist for more than a moment.

Question 3

explain (1) in flux

Answer 3

We can imagine a river with water flowing between its two banks. Heraclitus appeals to intuition by assuming that this river today is the same river the river which was there yesterday. Since Heraclitus is running a reductio, this will be the negated assumption

Question 4

explain (2)/(3) in flux

Answer 4

Today’s river IS IDENTICAL to today’s water…..

Question 5

explain (4) in flux

Answer 5

Transitivity

Question 6

explain (5) in flux

Answer 6

Reflexivity

Question 7

explain (6) in flux

Answer 7

Transitivity

Question 8

explain (7) in flux

Answer 8

Heraclitus argues that yesterday’s water and todays water are not the same because the water from yesterday has passed the river bank while todays water is currently at the river bank.

Question 9

explain (8) in flux

Answer 9

reductio

Question 10

explain (9) in flux

Answer 10

The river has a different identity at any given moment, meaning that it does not exist for more than a moment – implying that the flux thesis is true.

Question 11

objection to premise (9) in the flux

Answer 11

Even though yesterday’s river is not in the same location as it was yesterday, it still exists as yesterday’s water - further downstream or diffused into the ocean. This arised when Heraclitus assumed that yesterday’s river is yesterday’s water.

Question 12

outline for the flux argument

Answer 12

1) flux thesis
2) explain premises
3) object to (9)