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                                     370 BC



                                   PARMENIDES



                                    by Plato



                         translated by Benjamin Jowett



PARMENIDES







  PERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE: CEPHALUS; ADEIMANTUS; GLAUCON; ANTIPHON;



PYTHODORUS; SOCRATES; ZENO; PARMENIDES; ARISTOTELES。 Cephalus



rehearses a dialogue which is supposed to have been narrated in his



presence by Antiphon; the half…brother of Adeimantus and Glaucon; to



certain Clazomenians。







  We had come from our home at Clazomenae to Athens; and met



Adeimantus and Glaucon in the Agora。 Welcome; Cephalus; said



Adeimantus; taking me by the hand; is there anything which we can do



for you in Athens?



  Yes; that is why I am here; I wish to ask a favour of you。



  What may that be? he said。



  I want you to tell me the name of your half brother; which I have



forgotten; he was a mere child when I last came hither from



Clazomenae; but that was a long time ago; his father's name; if I



remember rightly; was Pyrilampes?



  Yes; he said; and the name of our brother; Antiphon; but why do



you ask?



  Let me introduce some countrymen of mine; I said; they are lovers of



philosophy; and have heard that Antiphon was intimate with a certain



Pythodorus; a friend of Zeno; and remembers a conversation which



took place between Socrates; Zeno; and Parmenides many years ago;



Pythodorus having often recited it to him。



  Quite true。



  And could we hear it? I asked。



  Nothing easier; he replied; when he was a youth he made a careful



study of the piece; at present his thoughts run in another



direction; like his grandfather Antiphon he is devoted to horses。 But;



if that is what you want; let us go and look for him; he dwells at



Melita; which is quite near; and he has only just left us to go home。



  Accordingly we went to look for him; he was at home; and in the



act of giving a bridle to a smith to be fitted。 When he had done



with the smith; his brothers told him the purpose of our visit; and he



saluted me as an acquaintance whom he remembered from my former visit;



and we asked him to repeat the dialogue。 At first he was not very



willing; and complained of the trouble; but at length he consented。 He



told us that Pythodorus had described to him the appearance of



Parmenides and Zeno; they came to Athens; as he said; at the great



Panathenaea; the former was; at the time of his visit; about 65



years old; very white with age; but well favoured。 Zeno was nearly



40 years of age; tall and fair to look upon; in the days of his



youth he was reported to have been beloved by Parmenides。 He said that



they lodged with Pythodorus in the Ceramicus; outside the wall;



whither Socrates; then a very young man; came to see them; and many



others with him; they wanted to hear the writings of Zeno; which had



been brought to Athens for the first time on the occasion of their



visit。 These Zeno himself read to them in the absence of Parmenides;



and had very nearly finished when Pythodorus entered; and with him



Parmenides and Aristoteles who was afterwards one of the Thirty; and



heard the little that remained of the dialogue。 Pythodorus had heard



Zeno repeat them before。



  When the recitation was completed; Socrates requested that the first



thesis of the first argument might be read over again; and this having



been done; he said: What is your meaning; Zeno? Do you maintain that



if being is many; it must be both like and unlike; and that this is



impossible; for neither can the like be unlike; nor the unlike like…is



that your position?



  Just so; said Zeno。



  And if the unlike cannot be like; or the like unlike; then according



to you; being could not be many; for this would involve an



impossibility。 In all that you say have you any other purpose except



to disprove the being of the many? and is not each division of your



treatise intended to furnish a separate proof of this; there being



in all as many proofs of the not…being of the many as you have



composed arguments? Is that your meaning; or have I misunderstood you?



  No; said Zeno; you have correctly understood my general purpose。



  I see; Parmenides; said Socrates; that Zeno would like to be not



only one with you in friendship but your second self in his writings



too; he puts what you say in another way; and would fain make



believe that he is telling us something which is new。 For you; in your



poems; say The All is one; and of this you adduce excellent proofs;



and he on the other hand says There is no many; and on behalf of



this he offers overwhelming evidence。 You affirm unity; he denies



plurality。 And so you deceive the world into believing that you are



saying different things when really you are saying much the same。 This



is a strain of art beyond the reach of most of us。



  Yes; Socrates; said Zeno。 But although you are as keen as a



Spartan hound in pursuing the track; you do not fully apprehend the



true motive of the composition; which is not really such an artificial



work as you imagine; for what you speak of was an accident; there



was no pretence of a great purpose; nor any serious intention of



deceiving the world。 The truth is; that these writings of mine were



meant to protect the arguments of Parmenides against those who make



fun of him and seek to show the many ridiculous and contradictory



results which they suppose to follow from the affirmation of the



one。 My answer is addressed to the partisans of the many; whose attack



I return with interest by retorting upon them that their hypothesis of



the being of many; if carried out; appears to be still more ridiculous



than the hypothesis of the being of one。 Zeal for my master led me



to write the book in the days of my youth; but some one stole the



copy; and therefore I had no choice whether it should be published



or not; the motive; however; of writing; was not the ambition of an



elder man; but the pugnacity of a young one。 This you do not seem to



see; Socrates; though in other respects; as I was saying; your



notion is a very just one。



  I understand; said Socrates; and quite accept your account。 But tell



me; Zeno; do you not further think that there is an idea of likeness



in itself; and another idea of unlikeness; which is the opposite of



likeness; and that in these two; you and I and all other things to



which we apply the term many; participate…things which participate



in likeness become in that degree and manner like; and so far as



they participate in unlikeness become in that degree unlike; or both



like and unlike in the degree in which they participate in both? And



may not all things partake of both opposites; and be both like and



unlike; by reason of this participation?…Where is the wonder? Now if a



person could prove the absolute like to become unlike; or the absolute



unlike to become like; that; in my opinion; would indeed be a



wonder; but there is nothing extraordinary; Zeno; in showing that



the things which only partake of likeness and unlikeness experience



both。 Nor; again; if a person were to show that all is one by



partaking of one; and at the same time many by partaking of many;



would that be very astonishing。 But if he were to show me that the



absolute one was many; or the absolute many one; I should be truly



amazed。 And so of all the rest: I should be surprised to hear that the



natures or ideas themselves had these opposite qualities; but not if a



person wanted to prove of me that I was many and also one。 When he



wanted to show that I was many he would say that I have a right and



a left side; and a front and a back; and an upper and a lower half;



for I cannot deny that I partake of multitude; when; on the other



hand; he wants to prove that I am one; he will say; that we who are



here assembled are seven; and that I am one and partake of the one。 In



both instances he proves his case。 So again; if a person shows that



such things as wood; stones; and the like; being many are also one; we



admit that he shows the coexistence the one and many; but he does



not show that the many are one or the one many; he is uttering not a



paradox but a truism。 If however; as I just now suggested; some one



were to abstract simple notions of like; unlike; one; many; rest;



motion; and similar ideas; and then to show that these admit of



admixture and separation in themselves; I should be very much



astonished。 This part of the argument appears to be treated by you;



Zeno; in a very spirited manner; but; as I was saying; I should be far



more amazed if any one found in the ideas themselves which are



apprehended by reason; the same puzzle and entanglement which you have



shown to exist in visible objects。



  While Socr

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