Paramenides

Question 1

What is Paramenides’ main philosophy?

Answer 1

There is only what-is, what-is-not doesnt exist and doesnt warrant talking, thinking or writing about.

Question 2

What does Paramenides think about the nature of truth?

Answer 2

He, like Heraclitus, distinguishes between a lesser, common truth “the beliefs of mortals, in which there is no true trust” and a higher, greater truth that is harder to attain (“far from the beaten path”). He like H, aludes to the senses being useless.

Question 3

Heraclitus thinks that all is one. Does Paramenides agree?

Answer 3

YES - Paramenides too argues that the universe is one whole. Although where Heraclitus argues that this whole comes from and is ends up as fire, Paramenides argues that there is a whole due to necessity - there only exists what is. Paramenides compares the whole to “the bulk of a ball well-rounded from all sides”.

Question 4

What ties the universe together according to Paramenides?

Answer 4

Necessity

Question 5

What is the main Crux of the difference between the philosophy of Heraclitus and Paramenides?

Answer 5

Paramenides argues that what is cannot exist alongside what is not, whereas H would argue that what is not is part of the being of what is - unity of opposites. P would argue that Things cannot come in and out of being as H says.
P: change is merely illusionary, still part of the whole, H: Change is necessary for things to be what they are.

Question 6

True or False:

Parmenides said that anything that can be thought of exists

Answer 6

true - it exists as an idea