Parmenides of Elea: Fragments: A text and translation with an introduction (Phoenix Supplementary Volume)

By Parmenides

Book Overview

With PARMENIDES began what is called, in more specific terms, true Philosophy.The Eleatic, and his Poem, constitute a beacon whose light illumined Plato and even Aristotle, and consequently all the philosophers that followed.Parmenides laid down several fundamental philosophical principles:1. The Being as foundation of all the existent2. The principle of identity, Being is identical to itself3. The principle of non-contradiction4. The principle of a-temporality or eternal present5. An initiatory philosophical vision of an experimental orderThis vision was taken up by Plato and others down to Plotinus and beyond, while staying in the Classical Greek tradition.For Parmenides the primary aim is the research for the ultimate Truth, and he is: he who has introduced the mortals to the straight path of wisdom, and: "...here immediately through the gate the maidens steered the chariot and the mares straight onto the road.: The Goddess kindly welcomed me and took my right hand in hers and addressing me she uttered so: Oh young companion, led by the mares and immortal charioteers, you come to our home: rejoice, for no adverse Moira sent you to travel this path which is far from the way traveled by men but Temis and Dike."The transition from one state of consciousness to another higher one, in a completely objectivistic society, is a revolutionary event, and also of this consists Parmenides greatness and his importance for contemporary li

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B08L88N754
• ISBN13: 9798698821953
• Release Date: October 2020
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 136 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Just what I was looking for

Being new to the pre-Socratics, I sought a text that has a good translation but also explores the sources of the fragments and alternative translations of important or controversial lines. This text does exactly that. Further, the introduction does a good job of explaining the entire work, taking a point of view and explaining the logic of the position. Although I found myself wanting some exploration of other interpretations, I realize that this is the role of a more comprehensive analysis - this book is intended to provide a complete primary source. If you are interested in finding out what Parmenides actually had to say, along with the evidence that he actually said it, I highly recommend this text. With respect to Parmenides' work itself, it is both groundbreaking (in 500 BCE) and profound even today as we see that philosophers still grapple with some of the same issues. His claims include that the universe is an unchanging unity, that our senses are not to be trusted, and that reasoning is the only true path to knowledge.