Plato on Parmenides of Elea: the Eleatic PNC case

According to several scholars, the first explicit formulations of the Principle of Non-Contradiction (PNC) can be found in Plato's works, e. g. in the Republic and the Sophist. The paper defends that, in these two dialogues, the context for that is the discussion of possible consequences of Parmenides' Poem, in which Plato seems to have seen a proto-version of the PNC: it is not possible what is not to be (DK28 B7). In that proto-version, the PNC would present itself as an exhaustive disjunction: either it is, and cannot not be, or it is not, and cannot be; and tertium non datur (DK28 B2, B8, passim). The paper shows the problematic corollaries thereof pointed to by Plato in the Republic and the Sophist, as well as it analyses the solutions that he had presented in each dialogue for those problems, namely, his own versions of the PNC.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Ancient Philosophy
Published
2024-10-31
DOI
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1981-9471.v18i2p14-31
Primary Topic
Classical Philosophy and Thought
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Plato on Parmenides of Elea: the Eleatic PNC case

André Luiz Braga da Silva
Journal of Ancient Philosophy
Classical Philosophy and Thought
article

Plato on Parmenides of Elea: the Eleatic PNC case

André Luiz Braga da Silva
article en

Abstract

According to several scholars, the first explicit formulations of the Principle of Non-Contradiction (PNC) can be found in Plato's works, e. g. in the Republic and the Sophist. The paper defends that, in these two dialogues, the context for that is the discussion of possible consequences of Parmenides' Poem, in which Plato seems to have seen a proto-version of the PNC: it is not possible what is not to be (DK28 B7). In that proto-version, the PNC would present itself as an exhaustive disjunction: either it is, and cannot not be, or it is not, and cannot be; and tertium non datur (DK28 B2, B8, passim). The paper shows the problematic corollaries thereof pointed to by Plato in the Republic and the Sophist, as well as it analyses the solutions that he had presented in each dialogue for those problems, namely, his own versions of the PNC.

Journal of Ancient PhilosophyVol. 18(2)
Universidade Estadual do Norte do Paraná (BR)
Yale University
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
Classical Philosophy and Thought
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Plato on Parmenides of Elea: the Eleatic PNC case — André Luiz Braga da Silva · Journal of Ancient Philosophy (2024) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS