"Parmenides" - читать интересную книгу автора (Plato)

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