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A History of Greek Philosophy /
THE ELEATICS /
PARMENIDES
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Page 6
He practically admits that he does not see how to bridge over the partition between Existence in itself and the changeful, temporary, existing things which the senses give us notions of. But whatever the connection may be, if there is a connection, he is convinced that nothing would be more absurd than to make the data of sense in any way or degree the measure of the reality of existence, or the source from which existence itself comes into being.
On this serenely impersonal position he took his stand; we find little or nothing of the querulous personal note so characteristic of much modern philosophy. We never find him asking, “What is to become of me in all this?” “What is my position with regard to this eternally-existing reality?” Of course this is not exclusively a characteristic of Parmenides, but of the time. The idea of personal relation to an eternal Rewarder was only vaguely held in historical times in Greece.[1] ...
Elpenor's note : [1] Careless remark. This ending of the chapter is useful only to make us understand a curious misunderstanding the author suffers. It was Socrates who said that he was interested in people and not in nature, it was Plato who described in astonishing details the divine life of a soul after death or her condemnation, and even Parmenides, who supposedly, ‘as Greeks in general’ had only ‘a vague idea of personal relation to an eternal Rewarder’!, writes his poem right from inside the Gods’ abode!, where only the wise enters. Even in the first appearance of Greek literature, in Homer’s epics, Gods and men almost live together, although in Homer man’s immortality is a shadow of life.
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Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-Greece/history-of-philosophy/parmenides.asp?pg=6
