© May 22, 2006 Download Plato's Parmenides from Gutenberg Several attempts at understanding the meaning of Plato’s Parmenides were made but not very successfully. Though some of the best minds like Cornford, Russell, Ryle, and Owen have struggled with it, the interpretations are not always acceptible without some hesitation. [1] Edward F. Little gives the following conclusion of it with reference to Plato’s own theory of Forms and distributing Parmenides’ arguments under eight hypotheses: [2] One with “O” capital refers to the form “O” and with “o” in small refers to its copies. Likewise “O” and “o” in “Others” and “others” respectively. The intent seems to be to teach Socrates how to reason efficiently in order to find the truth. The method is by deduction of consequences related to both the posited existence and also non-existence of a thing. (1) If there is a One, it does not exist. (2) If there is a one, it is many. (3) If there is a one, the others are one(s). (4) If there
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