Abstract:
This study will explore the role of dialectic in the dramatic portrayal of
philosophy presented in Plato’s dialogue the Parmenides. Dialectic, an important concept
in many of Plato’s dialogues, is not clearly defined and it is difficult to determine exactly
what Plato means when he uses the term. Understanding what “dialectic” means in the
Parmenides is therefore important for an understanding of the philosophical views
expressed in that dialogue. In the Parmenides, discussion of dialectic arises in connection
with philosophical knowledge which, for Plato’s character Socrates in that and many
dialogues, has to do with eide, ideai (ideas). Due to the connection we find between
knowledge of ideas and dialectic, in this study we will try to see how and if dialectic can
lead to knowledge of ideas and what role it plays in the conception of philosophy
portrayed in the Parmenides.
