Plato versus Parmenides: The Debate over Coming-into-Being Greek Philosophy

investigates the concept of genesis, or coming into being, a problem that has absorbed the greatest philosophical thinkers. Robert J. Roecklein explores two philosophical giants who tackled this issue: Plato and Parmenides from Elea. Particularly interesting to Roecklein is how the respective arguments of reality, or lack thereof, of coming into being functions as a political barometer: how Plato and Parmenides sketch foundations for political regimes. Plato and Parmenides, philosophers of immeasurable respect and influence, represented two sides of a fierce debate. On one side, Parmenides gives the famous argument that coming into being cannot possibly be a reality in nature. The other side, Plato proves in his dialogue the that coming into being is a very real thing in nature. He argues that perception does indeed provide accurate information about the external world. In , Robert J. Roecklein presents the great debate between these two schools, and examines the disposition of other PreSocratic philosophers who were influenced by these great intellectual rivals.