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。