Practice question · Multiple choice
Why did Zeno construct the paradoxes, given that he did not expect anyone to stop believing in motion?
Hints
- Consider who Zeno was defending and against what charge.
- Parmenides was being ridiculed for absurdity, so Zeno showed the alternative was absurd too.
Show the answer
B. To show that his opponents’ position is as paradoxical as the one they ridiculed
Why
The argument is dialectical: if plurality and motion generate paradoxes just as severe, then ridiculing Parmenides for absurdity is no longer an argument. Zeno is levelling the field, not proving a positive thesis.
Practise Zeno and Melissus
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More questions on Zeno and Melissus
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