Podcast episodes – The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP) Plato’s Parmenides and Metaphysics
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Jun 26, 2018 Explore the significance of Plato's Parmenides in western esotericism, its challenging metaphysics, and interrelationships between higher levels of reality. Delve into the structure of the dialogue and the concept of 'the one' in Parmenides, discussing its metaphysical implications and its relationship with time, existence, and knowledge.
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Parmenides Sparks Conflicting Readings
- The Parmenides attracts wildly different readings, from anti‑forms parody to distilled metaphysics by late Platonists.
- For some readers it presents Plato's deepest metaphysical system and shaped Western esotericism.
Dodds' 1928 Reassessment
- In 1928 E. R. Dodds published a landmark article reframing how scholars read the Parmenides.
- Dodds argued late Platonists used the dialogue as a manual for metaphysical doctrine.
Role Reversal: Parmenides Schools Socrates
- Plato stages Parmenides as an elder who uses Socratic method to expose contradictions in young Socrates' views.
- This reversal emphasizes rigorous dialectic and tests the theory of forms thoroughly.