Parmenides

Plato, 427？ BCE-347？ BCEProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.6

Word count: 197K words
Chapters: 20

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Parmenides by PlatoAuthor: Plato, 427? BCE-347? BCE,Language: English, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Mar 1, 1999

Editor's review

Parmenides is widely regarded as one of the most difficult of Plato's dialogues, offering both a self-critique of the theory of Forms and a exercise in dialectic. The first half, through a conversation between the young Socrates and Parmenides, raises a series of sharp difficulties about how things participate in the Forms; the second half works out the relation between the One and the Many through eight hypotheses, and is seen as an important source of the Western metaphysical and dialectical tradition. This edition is a public-domain English e-book from Project Gutenberg, with a complete and easily searchable text, suitable for close reading alongside the Greek or a Chinese translation. Its value lies not in conclusions but in demonstrating how to pursue seriously the consistency of concepts themselves. Reading it requires patience and a habit of note-taking; it suits philosophy students, classics enthusiasts, and general readers who wish to understand the internal difficulties of the theory of Forms, and works best when discussed passage by passage in seminars or reading groups.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Philosophy students and students of the history of Western philosophy
Readers interested in Plato's theory of Forms and dialectic
Classics enthusiasts and those studying Greek philosophical texts
Organizers preparing reading-group discussions who need close-reading material

Not a good fit for

Beginners new to Plato with no introductory groundwork
Readers used to plot-driven reading who lack patience for abstract argument
Learners who struggle with English reading and have no parallel translation at hand

Reading tips

Read a reliable introduction or the preface to a Chinese translation before entering the English text.
Read the second half hypothesis by hypothesis, restating the argument of each group after finishing it.
Keep pen and paper to map conceptual relations and mark contradictions and turns.
Compare with the passages on the theory of Forms in the Republic to understand what the self-critique is aimed at.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Why is this dialogue considered so difficult to read?

The difficulty lies mainly in two parts: the first half piles up layer upon layer of difficulties about participation in the Forms, while the second half is a continuous chain of eight abstract hypotheses with little narrative support. Readers need strong conceptual discrimination and the ability to follow an argument, so it is usually recommended to read it with a guide or in a course.

Do I need to read other Platonic dialogues first?

It is advisable at least to understand the basic claims about the Forms in the Republic first, which makes the target of the critique clearer. If possible, begin with shorter early dialogues with clearer arguments to become familiar with Plato's manner of writing before entering this one.

Is the English edition suitable for direct scholarly citation?

It can serve as a reference to a standard English translation, but scholarly citation should note the translator and edition, and key terms should where possible be checked against the Greek original or an authoritative translation. The Gutenberg edition is convenient for searching and reading, but should not replace a scholarly critical edition.

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About the author

Plato, 427？ BCE-347？ BCE Author

Plato (c. 427–347 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher. Reliable details of his life are limited in public sources, and his thought and writings are generally known through later accounts. The library holds 65 of his works, including the multi-volume Republic (Πολιτεία), the Symposium, and the Phaedo. These works are mostly dialogues with Socrates as the central figure, unfolding through question and answer around justice, the governance of the city, love, the soul, and knowledge, combining philosophical inquiry with dramatic literary form. The Republic, which discusses the ideal city and justice, is especially influential. Plato's style is marked by analogy, argument, and open-ended conclusions, and he has had a lasting influence on later Western philosophy and political thought.