Parmenides of Elea

2.3.14

            A substantial majority of the provided excerpts from Parmenides work revolves around his epistemological views. There are a couple of overarching themes that grow clear as one reads his work—namely that there exists an absolute truth and that sensory perceptions are of limited value.

            Parmenides clearly advocates for a single, unchanging truth. He really harps on the concept that what-is is and what-is-not is not. Although this is a rather confusing use of language, I think he is taking a very similar approach to that which Descartes used 2 millennia later. One must move from the central concept of thought and existence and build his or her philosophical framework from this supposition.

            Along with this über-rational view of knowledge, Parmenides is very skeptical of sensory perception. He says, “do not let…habit compel you along this route [of inquiry].” On should not allow perceptions to cloud the purer form of reasoning. Along with this notion, Parmenides is very skeptical of what others tell him. Information given by others falls into the camp of perceptions, not pure reasoning. The major risk, of course, with any of these methods of thought is that one will follow a path towards becoming an absurdist or Nihilist. Although I do not think that Parmenides falls into either of these camps, I am a little skeptical of his writing.