Study of Dialectic in Plato's Parmenides

Eric Sanday is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Kentucky.

• INTRODUCTION:  DIALECTIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL METHOD  1.         The Platonic Context 2.         Commentary on Method        Outline of the Chapters         PART I:  SCIENTIFIC PHILOSOPHYChapter 1: Zenonian Method 1.         Reception       2.         Participation   3.         The Conversation Between Zeno and Socrates         Rhetoric, Eristic, and Scientific Philosophy  4.         Parmenidean Intervention [130a3 – 130e3]   Maturing into Scientific Philosophy  Conclusion of First Chapter   CHAPTER 2 – PUTTING PARTICIPATION TO THE TEST       1.         One in Quantity:  Part/Whole Complexity    2.         One of Many:  Individuality  Review:  “One” as Aggregate and Individual           3.         One in Quality:  Likeness and Multiplicity    Metaphysical Asymmetry      4.         The Skeptical Objection         Answering the Skeptic           5.         Dialectic in the Republic and Parmenides     Conclusion of First Part         PART 2:  EXERCISE AND REHABILITATION  CHAPTER 3:  FIRST HYPOTHESIS (H1) Preparatory Discussion of the “One” 1.         The One in the First Hypothesis        2.         Complexity    2a.       Part/Whole Complexity         A Note on Dialectic and the “Secondary Aim” of H1          2b.       Spatiality        2c.       Motion and Rest        3.         Same and Other         4.         Like and Unlike         5.         Measure          6.         Temporality    Lessons and Questions          CHAPTER 4:  THE ONE-THAT-IS:  SECOND HYPOTHESIS (H2)       Summary of the Chapter        1.         The Abstract Intelligibility of Spatially Determinate Individuals     1a.       One Consisting of Many:  the first argument (142c-143a)    1b.       Many Ones:  the second argument (143a-144e5)      Conclusion of the Two Derivations (144d3-145a4)  2.         Spatial Limit  2a.       Spatiality        2b.       Motion and Rest        3.         Qualitative Relation   3a.       Same and Other         3a.i      the one is the same as itself    3a.ii     the one is different from itself           3a.iii    the one is different than the others    3a.iv    the one is the same as the [things] not-one    3b.       Like/Unlike    4.         Quantitative Relation 4a.       Contact:  coordinating complexity and individuality4b.       Continuous Magnitude:  Greater/Smaller/Equal        4c.       Discrete Magnitude:  Measure           5.         Temporality    5a.       The Temporality of the One, Relative to Itself          5b.       The Temporality of the One, Relative to Others       Conclusion of H2CHAPTER 5:  TRANSFORMED PERSPECTIVE 1.         H2a – The Instant      2.         H3-H4 – Limit and the Unlimited     2a.       H4      3.         H5-H6 – Veridical Predication          3a.       The One-that-is-not Partakes of Many Things           3b.       The Bonds of Being and Not Being  3c.       Motion and Rest        3d.       H6      4.         H7-H8 – Appearance 4a.       H8      CONCLUSION