CHAPTER XXVII.

PARMENIDES.

Character of dialogues immediately preceding--much transcendental assertion. Opposite character of the Parmenides 56

Sokrates is the juvenile defendant--Parmenides the veteran censor and cross-examiner. Parmenides gives a specimen of exercises to be performed by the philosophical aspirant _ib._

Circumstances and persons of the Parmenides 57

Manner in which the doctrine of Parmenides was impugned. Manner in which his partisan Zeno defended him 58

Sokrates here impugns the doctrine of Zeno. He affirms the Platonic theory of ideas separate from sensible objects, yet participable by them 60

Parmenides and Zeno admire the philosophical ardour of Sokrates. Parmenides advances objections against the Platonic theory of Ideas 60

What Ideas does Sokrates recognise? Of the Just and Good? Yes. Of Man, Horse, &c.? Doubtful. Of Hair, Mud, &c.? No _ib._

Parmenides declares that no object in nature is mean to the philosopher 61

Remarks upon this--Contrast between emotional and scientific classification _ib._

Objections of Parmenides--How can objects participate in the Ideas. Each cannot have the whole Idea, nor a part thereof 62

Comparing the Idea with the sensible objects partaking in the Idea, there is a likeness between them which must be represented by a higher Idea--and so on _ad infinitum_ 63

Are the Ideas conceptions of the mind, and nothing more? Impossible 64

The Ideas are types or exemplars, and objects partake of them by being likened to them. Impossible 65

If Ideas exist, they cannot be knowable by us. We can know only what is relative to ourselves. Individuals are relative to individuals: Ideas relative to Ideas _ib._

Forms can be known only through the Form of Cognition, which we do not possess 66

Form of cognition, superior to our Cognition, belongs to the Gods. We cannot know them, nor can they know us _ib._

Sum total of objections against the Ideas is grave. But if we do not admit that Ideas exist, and that they are knowable, there can be no dialectic discussion 67

Dilemma put by Parmenides--Acuteness of his objections 68

The doctrine which Parmenides attacks is the genuine Platonic theory of Ideas. His objections are never answered in any part of the Platonic dialogues _ib._

Views of Stallbaum and Socher. The latter maintains that Plato would never make such objections against his own theory, and denies the authenticity of the Parmenidês 69

Philosophers are usually advocates, each of a positive system of his own 70

Different spirit of Plato in his Dialogues of Search _ib._

The Parmenidês is the extreme manifestation of the negative element. That Plato should employ one dialogue in setting forth the negative case against the Theory of Ideas is not unnatural 71

Force of the negative case in the Parmenidês. Difficulties about participation of sensible objects in the world of Ideas _ib._

Difficulties about the Cognizability of Ideas. If Ideas are absolute, they cannot be cognizable: if they are cognizable, they must be relative. Doctrine of Homo Mensura 72

Answer of Sokrates--That Ideas are mere conceptions of the mind. Objection of Parmenides correct, though undeveloped 73

Meaning of Abstract and General Terms, debated from ancient times to the present day--Different views of Plato and Aristotle upon it 76

Plato never expected to make his Ideas fit on to the facts of sense: Aristotle tried to do it and partly succeeded 78

Continuation of the Dialogue--Parmenides admonishes Sokrates that he has been premature in delivering a doctrine, without sufficient preliminary exercise 79

What sort of exercise? Parmenides describes: To assume provisionally both the affirmative and the negative of many hypotheses about the most general terms, and to trace the consequences of each _ib._

Impossible to do this before a numerous audience--Parmenides is entreated to give a specimen--After much solicitation he agrees 80

Parmenides elects his own theory of the _Unum_, as the topic for exhibition--Aristoteles becomes respondent _ib._

Exhibition of Parmenides--Nine distinct deductions or Demonstrations, first from _Unum Est_--next from _Unum non Est_ 81

The Demonstrations in antagonising pairs, or Antinomies. Perplexing entanglement of conclusions given without any explanation _ib._

Different judgments of Platonic critics respecting the Antinomies and the dialogue generally 82

No dogmatical solution or purpose is wrapped up in the dialogue. The purpose is negative, to make a theorist keenly feel all the difficulties of theorising 85

This negative purpose is expressly announced by Plato himself. All dogmatical purpose, extending farther, is purely hypothetical, and even inconsistent with what is declared 87

The Demonstrations or Antinomies considered. They include much unwarranted assumption and subtlety. Collection of unexplained perplexities or [Greek: a)pori/ai] 88

Even if Plato himself saw through these subtleties, he might still choose to impose and to heap up difficulties in the way of a forward affirmative aspirant 89

The exercises exhibited by Parmenides are exhibited only as illustrative specimens of a method enjoined to be applied to many other Antinomies 91

These Platonic Antinomies are more formidable than any of the sophisms or subtleties broached by the Megaric philosophers _ib._

In order to understand fully the Platonic Antinomies, we ought to have before us the problems of the Megarics and others. Uselessness of searching for a positive result 93

Assumptions of Parmenides in his Demonstrations convey the minimum of determinate meaning. Views of Aristotle upon these indeterminate predicates, Ens, Unum, &c. 94

In the Platonic Demonstrations the same proposition in words is made to bear very different meanings 95

First demonstration ends in an assemblage of negative conclusions. _Reductio ad Absurdum_, of the assumption--Unum non Multa 96

Second Demonstration 97

It ends in demonstrating _Both_, of that which the first Demonstration had demonstrated _Neither_ 98

Startling paradox--Open offence against logical canon--No logical canon had then been laid down 99

Demonstration third--Attempt to reconcile the contradiction of Demonstrations I. and II. 100

Plato's imagination of the Sudden or Instantaneous--Breaches or momentary stoppages in the course of time _ib._

Review of the successive pairs of Demonstrations or Antinomies in each, the first proves the Neither, the second proves the Both 101

The third Demonstration is mediatorial but not satisfactory--The hypothesis of the Sudden or Instantaneous found no favour 102

Review of the two last Antinomies. Demonstrations VI. and VII. 103

Demonstration VII. is founded upon the genuine doctrine of Parmenides 104

Demonstrations VI. and VII. considered--Unwarrantable steps in the reasoning--The fundamental premiss differently interpreted, though the same in words 105

Demonstrations VIII. and IX.--Analysis of Demonstration VIII. 106

Demonstration VIII. is very subtle and Zenonian 107

Demonstration IX. _Neither_ following _Both_ _ib._

Concluding words of the Parmenides--Declaration that he has demonstrated the Both and the Neither of many different propositions 108

Comparison of the conclusion of the Parmenides to an enigma of the Republic. Difference. The constructor of the enigma adapted its conditions to a foreknown solution. Plato did not _ib._