KARL JASPERS
FORUM
TA112
(Müller)
Commentary
15 (to R14)
( PARMENIDES AND GORGIAS )
by Fred Abraham
4 November 2009, posted 14 November 2009
<1>
Thank you, Herbert FJ Müller, for this helpful commentary. This fundamental issue is a
foundation of some material I am developing for some lectures in May, and your
comments will prove helpful.
<2>
Heraclitus of Ephesus (c. 544-484 B.C.) [who] argued
that the entire substance of the world is in a ceaseless process of change,
while the Eleatic philosopher Parmenides (c. 540-470)
held to the opposing theory that the ultimate substance (Being) is unchanging
and unchangeable, permanent (Sahakian,1968, 6).
<3>
Parmenides' goddess reminds me of another seemingly contradictory,
and thus similarly destabilizing quote, of Gorgias:
1. Nothing exists;
2. Even if something exists, nothing can be known about it; and
3. Even if something can be known about it, knowledge about it can't be
communicated to others.
<4>
"The argument has largely been seen as an ironic refutation of Parmenides <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmenides>'
thesis on Being. Gorgias set out to prove that it is as easy to demonstrate
that being is one, unchanging and timeless as it is to prove that being has no
existence at all."
(from
Wikipedia, today).
<5>
Gorgias was thus in the Heraclitus tradition, rather
than the Parmenides-Platonic tradition.
-------------------------------------------------
(Additional note received 7
November 2009 :)
For a more immediate informant
for Heidegger on *Dasein*, check out Kakuzō :
”According to Tomonobu
Imamichi<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomonobu_Imamichi>,
Heidegger <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidegger>'s
concept of
*Dasein*<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasein> in
*Sein
und Zeit* <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sein_und_Zeit>
was inspired —although Heidegger remains silent on this — by Okakura Kakuzo's concept of *das-in-der-Welt-sein* (to be in the
being of the world) expressed in *TheBook of Tea *to describe
Zhuangzi <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuangzi>'s
philosophy, which Imamichi's teacher had offered to
Heidegger in 1919, after having followed lessons with him the year
before." (from Wikipedia, 10/30)
Jaspers developed the idea
further under the term *Existenz*.
-------------------------------------------------
Fred Abraham
1396 Gregg Hill Road
Waterbury Center, VT 05677 USA
802 244-8104 249-0806 (mobile)
e-mail <frederick.d.abraham (at)gmail.com
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