Chapter 8 Parmenides on Sense Perception in Theophrastus and Elsewhere
In: Studies in Early Greek Philosophy
Author:
Jaap Mansfeld
Jaap Mansfeld
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Abstract
Theophrastus’ account at De sensibus 3–4 shows (1) that he did not find evidence for a detailed theory of sense perception in Parmenides and (2) that he did not include our fr. 28B7 in his overview. The tradition followed by Sextus Empiricus and Diogenes Laertius concluded from 28B7 that Parmenides rejected the evidence of the senses in favour of that of reason (logos). But logos in Parmenides means ‘argument’, and glôssa is not the organ of taste but of speech. If Theophrastus had interpreted the evidence of 28B7 in the manner of Sextus and Diogenes he would have been obliged to discuss Parmenides’ triad of purported senses between Plato’s two and Empedocles’ five.