parmenides-第6章
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time; become younger than itself?
Yes。
But again; it is true that it cannot become for a longer or for a
shorter time than itself; but it must become; and be; and have become;
and be about to be; for the same time with itself?
That again is inevitable。
Then things which are in time; and partake of time; must in every
case; I suppose; be of the same age with themselves; and must also
become at once older and younger than themselves?
Yes。
But the one did not partake of those affections?
Not at all。
Then it does not partake of time; and is not in any time?
So the argument shows。
Well; but do not the expressions 〃was;〃 and 〃has become;〃 and 〃was
becoming;〃 signify a participation of past time?
Certainly。
And do not 〃will be;〃 〃will become;〃 〃will have become;〃 signify a
participation of future time?
Yes。
And 〃is;〃 or 〃becomes;〃 signifies a participation of present time?
Certainly。
And if the one is absolutely without participation in time; it never
had become; or was becoming; or was at any time; or is now become or
is becoming; or is; or will become; or will have become; or will be;
hereafter。
Most true。
But are there any modes of partaking of being other than these?
There are none。
Then the one cannot possibly partake of being?
That is the inference。
Then the one is not at all?
Clearly not。
Then the one does not exist in such way as to be one; for if it were
and partook of being; it would already be; but if the argument is to
be trusted; the one neither is nor is one?
True。
But that which is not admits of no attribute or relation?
Of course not。
Then there is no name; nor expression; nor perception; nor
opinion; nor knowledge of it?
Clearly not。
Then it is neither named; nor expressed; nor opined; nor known;
nor does anything that is perceive it。
So we must infer。
But can all this be true about the one?
I think not。
Suppose; now; that we return once more to the original hypothesis;
let us see whether; on a further review; any new aspect of the
question appears。
I shall be very happy to do so。
We say that we have to work out together all the consequences;
whatever they may be; which follow; if the one is?
Yes。
Then we will begin at the beginning:…If one is; can one be; and
not partake of being?
Impossible。
Then the one will have being; but its being will not be the same
with the one; for if the same; it would not be the being of the one;
nor would the one have participated in being; for the proposition that
one is would have been identical with the proposition that one is one;
but our hypothesis is not if one is one; what will follow; but if
one is:…am I not right?
Quite right。
We mean to say; that being has not the same significance as one?
Of course。
And when we put them together shortly; and say 〃One is;〃 that is
equivalent to saying; 〃partakes of being〃?
Quite true。
Once more then let us ask; if one is what will follow。 Does not this
hypothesis necessarily imply that one is of such a nature as to have
parts?
How so?
In this way:…If being is predicated of the one; if the one is; and
one of being; if being is one; and if being and one are not the
same; and since the one; which we have assumed; is; must not the
whole; if it is one; itself be; and have for its parts; one and being?
Certainly。
And is each of these parts…one and being to be simply called a part;
or must the word 〃part〃 be relative to the word 〃whole〃?
The latter。
Then that which is one is both a whole and has a part?
Certainly。
Again; of the parts of the one; if it is…I mean being and one…does
either fail to imply the other? is the one wanting to being; or
being to the one?
Impossible。
Thus; each of the parts also has in turn both one and being; and
is at the least made up of two parts; and the same principle goes on
for ever; and every part whatever has always these two parts; for
being always involves one; and one being; so that one is always
disappearing; and becoming two。
Certainly。
And so the one; if it is; must be infinite in multiplicity?
Clearly。
Let us take another direction。
What direction?
We say that the one partakes of being and therefore it is?
Yes。
And in this way; the one; if it has being; has turned out to be
many?
True。
But now; let us abstract the one which; as we say; partakes of
being; and try to imagine it apart from that of which; as we say; it
partakes…will this abstract one be one only or many?
One; I think。
Let us see:…Must not the being of one be other than one? for the one
is not being; but; considered as one; only partook of being?
Certainly。
If being and the one be two different things; it is not because
the one is one that it is other than being; nor because being is being
that it is other than the one; but they differ from one another in
virtue of otherness and difference。
Certainly。
So that the other is not the same either with the one or with being?
Certainly not。
And therefore whether we take being and the other; or being and
the one; or the one and the other; in every such case we take two
things; which may be rightly called both。
How so。
In this way…you may speak of being?
Yes。
And also of one?
Yes。
Then now we have spoken of either of them?
Yes。
Well; and when I speak of being and one; I speak of them both?
Certainly。
And if I speak of being and the other; or of the one and the
other…in any such case do I not speak of both?
Yes。
And must not that which is correctly called both; be also two?
Undoubtedly。
And of two things how can either by any possibility not be one?
It cannot。
Then; if the individuals of the pair are together two; they must
be severally one?
Clearly。
And if each of them is one; then by the addition of any one to any
pair; the whole becomes three?
Yes。
And three are odd; and two are even?
Of course。
And if there are two there must also be twice; and if there are
three there must be thrice; that is; if twice one makes two; and
thrice one three?
Certainly。
There are two; and twice; and therefore there must be twice two; and
there are three; and there is thrice; and therefore there must be
thrice three?
Of course。
If there are three and twice; there is twice three; and if there are
two and thrice; there is thrice two?
Undoubtedly。
Here; then; we have even taken even times; and odd taken odd
times; and even taken odd times; and odd taken even times。
True。
And if this is so; does any number remain which has no necessity
to be?
None whatever。
Then if one is; number must also be?
It must。
But if there is number; there must also be many; and infinite
multiplicity of being; for number is infinite in multiplicity; and
partakes also of being: am I not right?
Certainly。
And if all number participates in being; every part of number will
also participate?
Yes。
Then being is distributed over the whole multitude of things; and
nothing that is; however small or however great; is devoid of it? And;
indeed; the very supposition of this is absurd; for how can that which
is; be devoid of being?
In no way。
And it is divided into the greatest and into the smallest; and
into being of all sizes; and is broken up more than all things; the
divisions of it have no limit。
True。
Then it has the greatest number of parts?
Yes; the grea