Abstract

It is only possible to understand what is designated by the word logos in Heraclitus if its meaning is perceived in its full extent – as the One that is common to all that comes into being, that governs it, as thought and as speech in sounding words. What is common to all these designations reveals itself as a kind of compilation, selection and collection. Collecting is the origin of thought and speech in two main sense: as collecting the logos in all phenomena and as collecting thoughts and words in a sentence. Speech is the pronounced manifestation of logos, and logos itself is utterable with words. The possibility of speaking truly or falsely in Heraclitus is based on the way in which logos is present in speech. Speaking- -the-same as logos is the origin of true speech, which is defined as sign-giving. Heraclitus’ sign-giving sentence is a gnome. It does not simply speak about logos, but logos as speech is exemplified in it, and reveals itself in its own truth.