Ancient philosophy First suggested by Heraclitus (c. 535 – c. 475 BC), a pre-Socratic Greek thinker, philosophers had for some time been contemplating the notion of opposites. Anaximander posited that every element was an opposite, or  connected to an opposite (water is cold, fire is hot). Thus, the material world was composed by some indefinite , boundless apeiron from which arose the elements (earth, air, fire, water) and pairs of opposites (hot/cold, wet/dry). There was, according to Anaximander, a continual war of opposites. Anaximenes of Miletus, a student and successor of Anaximander, replaced this indefinite , boundless arche with air, a known element with neutral properties. According to Anaximenes, there was not so much a war of opposites, as a continuum of change. Heraclitus, however, did not accept the milesian monism and replaced their underlying material arche with a single, divine law of the universe, which he called Logos. The universe of Heraclitus is in constant change, but also remaining the same. That is to say,  an object moves from point A to point B, thus creating a change , but the underlying law remains the same. Thus, a unity of opposites is present in the universe as difference and sameness. This is a rather broad example though. For a more detailed example we may turn to an aphorism of Heraclitus  : This is an example of a compresent unity of opposites. For, at the same time, this slanted road has the opposite qualities of ascent and descent. According to Heraclitus, everything is in constant flux, and every changing object co-instantiates at least one pair of opposites (though not necessarily simultaneously) and every pair of opposites is co-instantiated in at least one object. Heraclitus also uses the succession of opposites as a base for change: Cold things grow hot, a hot thing cold, a moist thing withers, a parched thing is wetted. (DK B126) As a single object persists through opposite properties, this object undergoes change.
Ancient philosophy First suggested by Heraclitus (c. 535 – c. 475 BC), a pre-Socratic Greek thinker, philosophers had for some time been contemplating the notion of opposites. Anaximander posited that every element had an opposite, or was connected to an opposite (water is cold, fire is hot). Thus, the material world was said to be composed of an infinite , boundless apeiron from which arose the elements (earth, air, fire, water) and pairs of opposites (hot/cold, wet/dry). There was, according to Anaximander, a continual war of opposites. Anaximenes of Miletus, a student and successor of Anaximander, replaced this infinite , boundless arche with air, a known element with neutral properties. According to Anaximenes, there was not so much a war of opposites, as a continuum of change. Heraclitus, however, did not accept the milesian monism and replaced their underlying material arche with a single, divine law of the universe, which he called Logos. The universe of Heraclitus is in constant change, while remaining the same. That is to say, when an object moves from point A to point B, a change is created, while the underlying law remains the same. Thus, a unity of opposites is present in the universe simultaneously containing difference and sameness. An aphorism of Heraclitus illustrates the idea as follows : This is an example of a compresent unity of opposites. For, at the same time, this slanted road has the opposite qualities of ascent and descent. According to Heraclitus, everything is in constant flux, and every changing object contains at least one pair of opposites (though not necessarily simultaneously) and every pair of opposites is contained in at least one object. Heraclitus also uses the succession of opposites as a basis for change: Cold things grow hot, hot things grow cold, a moist thing withers, a parched thing is wetted. (DK B126) An object persists despite opposite properties, even as it undergoes change.
R
was
had
A
was
R
composed by some indefinite
said to be composed of an infinite
R
indefinite
infinite
R
but also
while
A
when
R
thus creating a change , but
a change is created, while
R
as
simultaneously containing
R
This is a rather broad example though. For a more detailed example we may turn to an
An
A
illustrates the idea as follows
R
co-instantiates
contains
R
co-instantiated
contained
R
base
basis
R
a hot thing
hot things grow
R
As a single object persists through
An object persists despite
R
this object
even as it