THE FUTILE BLOODSHED OF THE WORLD
By Major General (Ret.) K. H. Constantinidis

Scientists, as well as politically misguided leaders, are committing crimes against humanity through their recklessness, folly, and stubbornness.
The age-old dispute among philosophers and scientists over matter, spirit, and the governance of peoples has persisted since ancient times.
Let us hope that humanity, guided by these invincible forces of the spirit and freedom, will rediscover the right path and emerge from the tragic and terrifying dead end in which it has become entangled. Humanity must neither be swept away nor surrender to the forces of destruction it has itself unleashed.
The War Between Materialists and Idealists
This conflict and division between materialists and idealists is ancient and deeply rooted. Essentially, it may be considered irrational, since human beings have a dual nature: they consist of both matter and spirit and therefore need both. These two dimensions must remain in balance if harmony is to prevail within humanity and throughout nature.
Consequently, this dispute is futile and unjustified, because Creation or Nature fashioned human beings neither to entrust them with nor to allow them to discover all its secrets.
Heraclitus – The Philosopher of Constant Change and the Hidden Depths of Nature
Heraclitus (approximately 535–475 BC), the philosopher from Ephesus, was one of the most profound and enigmatic figures of pre-Socratic thought. He became known as the “Obscure Philosopher,” not because his thinking lacked clarity, but because he condensed profound truths into brief, dense, and often enigmatic statements.
For Heraclitus, the world is neither static nor unchanging. It is in perpetual motion and constant transformation. Everything exists in a state of continuous becoming.
His famous image of the river expresses precisely this idea: we cannot step into the same river twice, because neither the river nor we ourselves remain the same. Accordingly, the myth of the stock market, too, will soon be overtaken by events.
The Logos Governs the World
A central place in his philosophy is occupied by the Logos, the deeper and universal order governing the world.
Behind the apparent contradictions of things lies a hidden harmony. The opposite is not merely the enemy of its counterpart; it is often its necessary precondition.
Heraclitus would not regard the current trend in the West as a genuine reality, but rather as an overturning of the existing balance and a shift in polarity in favour of the East.
Within this philosophical perspective, his statement acquires particular significance:
“Physis kryptesthai philei.”
Nature loves to hide.
The essence of things does not always lie on the surface. Deeper observation, inquiry, and contemplation are required in order to approach the truth.
The world does not reveal its secrets merely through telescopes or the study of particles to anyone who simply looks. For we, too, are created in the image and likeness of Nature.
According to Heraclitus, we ourselves are part of Nature, a fact that today’s rulers have largely forgotten. Their willingness to marginalise human populations in the pursuit of money constitutes a grave crime, one for which they will pay here on Earth.
Therefore, as part of Nature, we must first come to know ourselves: the Human Being.
Man Must Become Godlike (Superman)
Obviously, human beings strive to discover Nature’s secrets in an attempt to become godlike. This, however, is impossible, since Nature created humanity as mortal and imperfect, not immortal.
Both humanity and the Earth will one day, with mathematical certainty, come to an end, when the Sun becomes a white dwarf or when it exhausts its nuclear fuel and eventually cools.
The entire Universe, too, according to cosmologists, will eventually die, whether through continued expansion or contraction.
Yet no one knows what will become of the Soul.
Who Directs Matter and Spirit?
But what significance does the dispute between “idealists” and “materialists” actually have?
According to the idealists, “spirit directs inert matter.” According to the materialists, “matter is set in motion by the energy contained within it.”
What does this dispute ultimately amount to, given that neither of these opposing positions has been proven?
Neither the idealists nor the materialists have succeeded in proving their claims – nor can they ever do so, given the limitations and insignificance of human existence.
Navel-Gazing While Trading Blows
Both sides engage in endless navel-gazing without proving what is true. Unlike Socrates, they do not even acknowledge the possibility of doubt. Instead, for millennia, they have plunged humanity into bloodshed and torn it apart through conflict and war.
Are such enormous sacrifices truly justified for the sake of two insignificant and unproven theories?
Today, materialists have become so powerful that they concentrate enormous quantities of wealth and material resources in a few hands, thereby overturning the planet’s balance.
Meanwhile, the spirit of theocracy wages epic battles in the name of an unknown God.
They have turned the Earth into a battlefield of mutual annihilation and total destruction.
The Golden Beetle-Midas Figures
What value can such unfortunate creatures of Creation as Trump, Putin, Musk, Huang, and others possibly have, when they accumulate material wealth and power while inflicting bloody sacrifices upon innocent people?
Idealism and materialism employ different languages to describe the same reality, without this necessarily meaning that the two theories are identical.
Human Delusion: “A Dispute About the Shadow of an Ass”
As Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) is said to have observed, it makes no difference whether idealists call this force God and Spirit, or whether materialists describe it as a higher power or energy that sets matter in motion.
It is a play on words without substance, yet one that has tormented societies for centuries.
The ancient Greeks would have said that they were quarrelling “about the shadow of an ass” – in other words, arguing over something utterly trivial and meaningless.
But What If Human Beings Became Better?
The continuous research conducted by natural scientists, as well as theological inquiry through metaphysics in the quest to reveal God, has ultimately proved fruitless.
The cost, however, has been particularly unbearable, for it has cost and continues to cost rivers of blood, pain, tears, and the obstruction of humanity’s progress.
If human beings wish to understand Nature, they must first understand themselves.
They must therefore devote themselves primarily to self-examination, exploring and improving their own nature, while turning to the teachings of the ancient Greek sages.
Only then will they be able to explore the world, improve their material living conditions, protect environmental cleanliness, and elevate their spiritual and intellectual standards.
Once they have first explored themselves and acquired wisdom, they will also know how to use material resources for the benefit of humanity.
14 November 2026
Major General (Ret.) Konstantinos Constantinidis
Author – Member of the Society of Greek Writers
Amphiktyon Blog: http://www.amphiktyon.blogspot.com
Amphiktyon Official Website: http://www.amphiktyon.org



