The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers · Chapter
Book IX: The Skeptics and the Eleatic School explained
This chapter covers the lives and doctrines of Xenophanes, Parmenides, Melissus, Zeno the Eleatic, Democritus, and Pyrrho, detailing their philosophical contributions, personal anecdotes, and the skeptical tradition that traces back to Home
What happens
This chapter covers the lives and doctrines of Xenophanes, Parmenides, Melissus, Zeno the Eleatic, Democritus, and Pyrrho, detailing their philosophical contributions, personal anecdotes, and the skeptical tradition that traces back to Homer and the Seven Sages.
Themes in this chapter
Origins and Succession of Philosophical Schools
Traces the lineage from Xenophanes to Parmenides, Melissus, Zeno, and the skeptical tradition of Pyrrho.
Natural Philosophy and Cosmology
Parmenides' spherical earth and central universe; Melissus' infinite and immovable universe; Democritus' atomic theory.
Death and Legacy
Xenophanes buried his sons; Democritus prolonged his life to attend the Thesmophoria; Pyrrho's calm acceptance of mortality.
Characters to notice
- Xenophanes
Founder of the Eleatic school; buried his sons with his own hands; flourished around the 60th Olympiad.
- Parmenides
Pupil of Xenophanes and Anaximander; first to assert the earth is spherical; discovered Hesperus and Lucifer are the same star.
- Melissus of Samos
Pupil of Parmenides; admiral and statesman; taught the universe is infinite, immovable, and one.
- Zeno of Citium
Native of Velia; pupil of Parmenides; first to use the 'Achilles' argument; wrote treatises in various forms.
- Democritus
Wrote the 'Great World' and 'Little World'; lived over 100 years; Plato allegedly wished to burn his writings.
- Pyrrho
Founder of the skeptical school; maintained calm during storms; enemy of Sophists; disciples included Timon and Nausiphanes.
Key passages
“And 'twill be needful for you well to know, The fearless heart of all-convincing truth: Also the opinions, though less sure, of men, Which rest upon no certain evidence.”
You must understand both the certain truth and the uncertain opinions of men.
Parmenides distinguishes between truth and opinion.
“Let not the common usages of men Persuade your better taught experience, To trust to men's unsafe deceitful sight, Or treacherous ears, or random speaking tongue: Reason alone will prove the truth of facts.”
Do not rely on senses; only reason reveals truth.
Parmenides advocates for reason over sensory perception.
“And no man knows distinctly anything, And no man ever will.”
No one can have certain knowledge of anything.
Xenophanes expresses skepticism.
“The object moved does not move either in the place in which it is”
A moving object cannot move in the place where it is.
Zeno's argument against motion.