PARMENIDES’ METHODOLOGICAL CRITICISM AND THE PROBLEM OF PHRONESIS

The following article is an attempt at indicating the influence Parmenides’ thought had on later Greek philosophy (especially that of Aristotle) from the perspective of the meaning of “phronesis”. Beginning with an analysis of passages from Heraclitus connected with this category the semantic context of the understanding of phronesis in Parmenides’ thought is presented. The key in these considerations is Parmenides’ distinction between two ways of inquiry, which is given the name of methodological criticism in this article. On the basis of this distinction, it is possible to explain why phronesis belongs to the way of opinions, as well as to justify Parmenides’ influence on the thought of Aristotle, culminating in the latter’s distinction between episteme and phronesis.