The concepts of universe, cosmos and microcosm in the cosmological philosophy of Heraclitus of Ephesus

The study gives different interpretations of the concept of cosmos by Heraclitus of Ephesus in both ancient and modern philosophy, including the Russian one. A new scientific and philosophical justification of the interpretation of the most important cosmological terms by Heraclitus and his construction of the universe are presented on the basis of works of Ancient Greek philosophers which have no clear statement of Ephesian thinker’s views on the structure of the universe. By a case study of the Work of Heraclitus of Ephesus on Nature, the author illustrates the consistent concept of the universe structure by Heraclitus which has always been considered “dark” and incomprehensible. The research concludes that in order to avoid contradictions in cosmological studies, philosophers should clearly define the meaning of the pivotal cosmological concepts such as universe, cosmos, microcosm.