Eristic and Eleaticism in Euthydemus of Chios
Parmenides, Plato and the Crisis of Sophistry
Abstract
Interpreters of Plato’s Euthydemus have often detected apparent Eleatic allegiances in the dialogue’s eponymous character and his brother Dionysodorus. However, according to another prominent line of interpretation, we should not attribute any doctrinal commitments to the eristic brothers in the Euthydemus. Indeed, the latter view seems to gain support from Socrates’ claim that the brothers’ ‘eristic wisdom’ enables them to refute whatever their interlocutor says, regardless of whether it is true or false (Euthyd. 272a7-b1). In this paper, I show that Plato does in fact attribute certain doctrinal commitments to Euthydemus and argue that these commitments are closely related to his larger argumentative practice. On the view I propose, Euthydemus’ aim in refuting his opponents is not simply to propound contradictions and paradoxes. He instead reduces his interlocutors to self-contradiction with the ultimate aim of defending a philosophical doctrine that provides one with a way out of these paradoxes. More precisely, I take the philosophical doctrine that Euthydemus defends to be a radical form of monism, often associated with the Eleatics and I suggest that the argumentative practice by which he defends this doctrine to also has Eleatic pedigree. On the reading I propose, Euthydemus’ ultimate aim in propounding his refutations is to reveal that his interlocutor’s apparently commonsense opinions are likewise paradoxical, and thus do not enjoy a greater plausibility than the radical monism that he espouses.
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