The One and the Many
“argument against plurality”
idea · 2 works · 2 mentions · 3 anchored passages
Zeno's argument against the many · the many cannot possibly be one, nor the one many · unity versus plurality
in the texts
Parmenides
The paradox explored in Zeno's treatise that plurality among existing things leads to contradictory attributes, deployed in defense of Parmenides's thesis that the all is one.
That if existences are many, they must be both like and unlike, which is impossible;
Is that the purpose of your treatises, to maintain against all arguments that existences are not many?
I see, Parmenides, said Socrates, that Zeno here wishes to be very close to you not only in his friendship, but also in his writing.
Sophist
The puzzle, prized by unsophisticated arguers, that the same single thing cannot properly be called by many names (e.g. calling a man 'good'), which the doctrine of the communion of kinds is meant to dissolve.
So in the same way every single thing which we supposed to be one, we treat as many and call by many names.
for example, it is easy enough for anyone to grasp the notion that the many cannot possibly be one, nor the one many, and so, apparently, they take pleasure in saying that we must not call a man good, but must call the good good, and a man man.
Theaet. True.