Iagreewithyou，Parmenides，saidSocrates;andwhatyousayisverymuchtomymind。
　　Andyet，Socrates，saidParmenides，ifaman，fixinghisattentionontheseandthelikedifficulties，doesawaywithideasofthingsandwillnotadmitthateveryindividualthinghasitsowndeterminateideawhichisalwaysoneandthesame，hewillhavenothingonwhichhismindcanrest;andsohewillutterlydestroythepowerofreasoning，asyouseemtometohaveparticularlynoted。
　　Verytrue，hesaid。
　　But，then，whatistobecomeofphilosophy？Whithershallweturn，iftheideasareunknown？
　　Icertainlydonotseemywayatpresent。
　　Yes，saidParmenides;andIthinkthatthisarises，Socrates，outofyourattemptingtodefinethebeautiful，thejust，thegood，andtheideasgenerally，withoutsufficientprevioustraining。Inoticedyourdeficiency，whenIheardyoutalkingherewithyourfriendAristoteles，thedaybeforeyesterday。Theimpulsethatcarriesyoutowardsphilosophyisassuredlynobleanddivine;butthereisanartwhichiscalledbythevulgaridletalking，andwhichisofimaginedtobeuseless;inthatyoumusttrainandexerciseyourself，nowthatyouareyoung，ortruthwilleludeyourgrasp。
　　Andwhatisthenatureofthisexercise，Parmenides，whichyouwouldrecommend？
　　ThatwhichyouheardZenopractising;atthesametime，Igiveyoucreditforsayingtohimthatyoudidnotcaretoexaminetheperplexityinreferencetovisiblethings，ortoconsiderthequestionthatway;butonlyinreferencetoobjectsofthought，andtowhatmaybecalledideas。
　　Why，yes，hesaid，thereappearstometobenodifficultyinshowingbythismethodthatvisiblethingsarelikeandunlikeandmayexperienceanything。
　　Quitetrue，saidParmenides;butIthinkthatyoushouldgoastepfurther，andconsidernotonlytheconsequenceswhichflowfromagivenhypothesis，butalsotheconsequenceswhichflowfromdenyingthehypothesis;andthatwillbestillbettertrainingforyou。
　　Whatdoyoumean？hesaid。
　　Imean，forexample，thatinthecaseofthisveryhypothesisofZeno'saboutthemany，youshouldinquirenotonlywhatwillbetheconsequencestothemanyinrelationtothemselvesandtotheone，andtotheoneinrelationtoitselfandthemany，onthehypothesisofthebeingofthemany，butalsowhatwillbetheconsequencestotheoneandthemanyintheirrelationtothemselvesandtoeachother，ontheoppositehypothesis。Or，again，iflikenessisorisnot，whatwillbetheconsequencesineitherofthesecasestothesubjectsofthehypothesis，andtootherthings，inrelationbothtothemselvesandtooneanother，andsoofunlikeness;andthesameholdsgoodofmotionandrest，ofgenerationanddestruction，andevenofbeingandnot—being。Inaword，whenyousupposeanythingtobeornottobe，ortobeinanywayaffected，youmustlookattheconsequencesinrelationtothethingitself，andtoanyotherthingswhichyouchoose—toeachofthemsingly，tomorethanone，andtoall;andsoofotherthings，youmustlookattheminrelationtothemselvesandtoanythingelsewhichyousupposeeithertobeornottobe，ifyouwouldtrainyourselfperfectlyandseetherealtruth。
　　That，Parmenides，isatremendousbusinessofwhichyouspeak，andI
　　donotquiteunderstandyou;willyoutakesomehypothesisandgothroughthesteps？—thenIshallapprehendyoubetter。
　　That，Socrates，isaserioustasktoimposeonamanofmyyears。
　　Thenwillyou，Zeno？saidSocrates。
　　Zenoansweredwithasmile:—LetusmakeourpetitiontoParmenideshimself，whoisquiterightinsayingthatyouarehardlyawareoftheextentofthetaskwhichyouareimposingonhim;andifthereweremoreofusIshouldnotaskhim，forthesearenotsubjectswhichanyone，especiallyathisage，canwellspeakofbeforealargeaudience;mostpeoplearenotawarethatthisround—aboutprogressthroughallthingsistheonlywayinwhichthemindcanattaintruthandwisdom。Andtherefore，Parmenides，IjoinintherequestofSocrates，thatImayheartheprocessagainwhichIhavenotheardforalongtime。
　　WhenZenohadthusspoken，Pythodorus，accordingtoAntiphon'sreportofhim，said，thathehimselfandAristotelesandthewholecompanyentreatedParmenidestogiveanexampleoftheprocess。I
　　cannotrefuse，saidParmenides;andyetIfeelratherlikeIbycus，who，wheninhisoldage，againsthiswill，hefellinlove，comparedhimselftoanoldracehorse，whowasabouttoruninachariotrace，shakingwithfearatthecourseheknewsowell—thiswashissimileofhimself。AndIalsoexperienceatremblingwhenI
　　rememberthroughwhatanoceanofwordsIhavetowadeatmytimeoflife。ButImustindulgeyou，asZenosaysthatIought，andwearealone。WhereshallIbegin？Andwhatshallbeourfirsthypothesis，ifIamtoattemptthislaboriouspastime？ShallIbeginwithmyself，andtakemyownhypothesistheone？andconsidertheconsequenceswhichfollowonthesuppositioneitherofthebeingorofthenotbeingofone？
　　Byallmeans，saidZeno。
　　Andwhowillanswerme？hesaid。ShallIproposetheyoungest？Hewillnotmakedifficultiesandwillbethemostlikelytosaywhathethinks;andhisanswerswillgivemetimetobreathe。
　　Iamtheonewhomyoumean，Parmenides，saidAristoteles;forIamtheyoungestandatyourservice。Ask，andIwillanswer。
　　Parmenidesproceeded:Ifoneis，hesaid，theonecannotbemany？
　　Impossible。
　　Thentheonecannothaveparts，andcannotbeawhole？
　　Whynot？
　　Becauseeverypartispartofawhole;isitnot？
　　Yes。
　　Andwhatisawhole？wouldnotthatofwhichnopartiswantingbeawhole？
　　Certainly。
　　Then，ineithercase，theonewouldbemadeupofparts;bothasbeingawhole，andalsoashavingparts？
　　Tobesure。
　　Andineithercase，theonewouldbemany，andnotone？
　　True。
　　But，surely，itoughttobeoneandnotmany？
　　Itought。
　　Then，iftheoneistoremainone，itwillnotbeawhole，andwillnothaveparts？
　　No。
　　Butifithasnoparts，itwillhaveneitherbeginning，middle，norend;forthesewouldofcoursebepartsofit。
　　Right。
　　Butthen，again，abeginningandanendarethelimitsofeverything？
　　Certainly。
　　Thentheone，havingneitherbeginningnorend，isunlimited？
　　Yes，unlimited。
　　Andthereforeformless;foritcannotpartakeeitherofroundorstraight。
　　Butwhy？
　　Why，becausetheroundisthatofwhichalltheextremepointsareequidistantfromthecentre？
　　Yes。
　　Andthestraightisthatofwhichthecentreinterceptstheviewoftheextremes？
　　True。
　　Thentheonewouldhavepartsandwouldbemany，ifitpartookeitherofastraightorofacircularform？
　　Assuredly。
　　Buthavingnoparts，itwillbeneitherstraightnorround？
　　Right。
　　And，beingofsuchanature，itcannotbeinanyplace，foritcannotbeeitherinanotherorinitself。
　　Howso？
　　Becauseifitwereinanother，itwouldbeencircledbythatinwhichitwas，andwouldtouchitatmanyplacesandwithmanyparts;
　　butthatwhichisoneandindivisible，anddoesnotpartakeofacircularnature，cannotbetouchedallroundinmanyplaces。
　　Certainlynot。
　　Butif，ontheotherhand，onewereinitself，itwouldalsobecontainedbynothingelsebutitself;thatistosay，ifitwerereallyinitself;fornothingcanbeinanythingwhichdoesnotcontainit。