Consider a subject S, and qualities Q and F, where Q is not F (Q=not-F). The same entity can possess different qualities, but this appears to Socrates contradictory if taken at face value. First, in the Parmenides, Socrates presents the appeal to ideas as a way of accounting for the seemingly contradictory nature of reality. Here, it is Parmenides the character who is responsible for this critical investigation, and Socrates the one who turns out to be under inquisition. In the Parmenides (one of the most important late dialogues), Plato offers a cross-examination of his own theory of ideas and exposes several flaws in it.

However, Plato’s middle dialogues never offer a full-blown systematic account of what ideas are and how this theory would work. Only ideas provide a reliable account of physical and changeable reality. Now, Socrates sees that in order to genuinely know anything, it is necessary to postulate the existence of certain eternal and immutable essences, the ideas (or forms). In the middle dialogues (like the Republic), Plato reshapes this earlier image of Socrates, and makes him a more assertive character. In this sense, Socrates operates mainly as a critical character. His aim is rather to cross-examine the views of those who pretend to know what they are talking about, in order to show that they actually turn out to be quite confused and even lack a solid grasp of the main object of their pretended wisdom. Socrates himself does not defend a particular view. Plato’s early dialogues (for instance, the Meno) introduce Socrates as an inquirer concerned with finding out genuine definitions for the concepts used by various interlocutors. Patricide is Plato’s decision for the impassable, a blunder that leads to the way of those who wander two-headed.A fairly standard interpretation of the Parmenides goes as follows. Therefore, establishing the concept of idea requires a critique of Parmenides’ thought of being, a critique that opens a horizon for a new way of thinking ideas in terms of being as being. In a way, Plato’s ideas are multiplied Parmenides’ being, but as such they are always the truth of many. That is, that the establishing of the concept of idea, which is simply postulated in the middle period, must be realized through criticism of Parmenides’ thought of being. The analysis shows that Parmenides’ poem On Nature represents the framework for problems regarding Plato’s thought. Summary/Abstract: This paper analyses the relationship between Plato’s late thought of being and eleatic heritage that is at the very core of Plato’s middle period idea thesis. Published by: Hrvatsko Filozofsko Društvo Keywords: Plato Parmenides idea being non-being one many truth opinion impassable Subject(s): Metaphysics, Ancient Philosphy Blunder and Impassable Author(s): Nikola Tatalović

Parmenides platon