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Parmenides the Pythagorean: Monistic Idealism (Mentalism) in Archaiс Greek Metaphysics
1. The problem. The physicalist interpretation of Parmenides’ concept of being derives from the late 19th century positivist overreaction to Hegelianism and German idealism in the historiography of Greek philosophy and involves insurmountable difficulties. What might be the purpose of a «theory» that the real world is a changeless mass of dead matter? Why is it presented as a divine revelation? There is only one possibility to make philosophical sense of Parmenides’ poem: to take seriously the ancient tradition of his Pythagorean background and to interpret his metaphysics as monistic idealism (mentalism) or immaterialism.
2. Ancient biographical tradition on Parmenides’ Pythagorean affiliation and background.
3. Pythagorean elements in Aletheia and Doxa. The doctrine of elemental transmigration rather than animal reincarnation is attested for Parmenides.
4. We propose three new readings of the text of the Proem. Read: 1) πάντα <πο>τῆι in B 1.3 «by flight»; 2) εὐπειθέως ἀτρεκές in B 1.29; 3) χρῆν δοκίμως ἱέναι «to recite» for εἶναι in B 1.32. The relation of B 1. 1–3 with the myth of the chariot of the soul in Plato's Phaedrus 246a. The anonymous goddess of the road and the revealing goddess is the same, the personified Aletheia.
5. Attribution to Parmenides of a neglected verbatim fragment νύμφη ὑψιπύλη ‘the nymph of High Gates’ quoted by Proclus (Syrianus). Hypsipyle is not a personal name, but refers to the goddess Aletheia.
6. The oracular (Apollonian) metaphorical code of the Proem: the quest for divine knowledge as a consultation trip (theoria) to the celestial oracular temple and the prophecy of the celestial Pythia named Aletheia.
7. Elements of allegory in the proem of Parmenides. Sextus’ interpretation is to some extent correct. The motive of the «flight of the mind through the Universe» and the apotheosis of philosopher.
8. The Pythagorean origin of the eschatological use of Aletheia as a mystical name for the the original abode of the souls before their incarnation in mortal bodies.
9. The structural parallelism of the basic oppositions in Aletheia and Doxa reveals the doctrine of immaterialism: what-is of the Aletheia correponds to the «light» of Doxa, what-is-not of Aletheia to the «Night» of Doxa. Consequently, «night», i.e. body does not exist. The meaning of «empty» and «full» in Parmenides. The linguistic mistake of mortals results in the phenomenal world of plurality.
10. The doctrine of monistic idealism or immaterialism is directly and explicitly stated by Parmenides in fr. B 3.
11. The idealist (mentalist) interpretation of Parmenides' theory of being is not only directly stated in two verbatim fragments, but is also confirmed by all external ancient evidence.
12. The Pythagorean symbol of the «invisible Sun of Justice» as the basis and the source of Parmenides’ description of the eternal Sphere of Being guarded by Dike in Aletheia. The theological dimension of Parmenides’ Aletheia.
13. Parmenides’ poem is concieved as a «hieros logos» of Pythagoras. Therefore the Kouros of the Proem is Pythagoras, not Parmenides himself. The Pythagorean legend of Pythagoras as flying god, Apollo Herboreios.
14. The three ways as history of philosophy: The way of Being (Aletheia) refers to the philosophy of Pythagoras (monistic idealism), the Way of Non-Being to the Ionian peri physeos historia (monistic naturalism) and the «two-headed» philosophers to Heraclitus.
15. The ethical dimension of Parmenides’ metaphysics: the sphere of Being as a symbol for meditation and a paradigm for the hesychia of the wise. th
16. Parmenides’ impact on the 5 century philosophy of nature was nil, his influence on Plato was profound. Some doubts on the validity of the term «pluralists».
17. Apollodorus’ date of Parmenides is better supported by all evidence, the meeiting of Parmenides and Socrates in Plato’ dialogue is anachronistic.
Appendix: Philodemus on the frist god. Philodemus’ description of Parmenides’ «first god» as «inanimate» is polemical and does not support the physicalist interpretation.