The Eleatics were a group of pre-Socratic philosophers in the 5th century BC centered around the ancient Italian Greek colony of Elea.
The primary philosophers are Parmenides and Zeno of Elea, but Xenophanes of Colophon and Empedocles have also been classified as members of this movement.
Parmenides
- c. 515 BC (?) ~ , Elea
Everything that exists has always existed.
Nothing can come from nothing.
According to Parmenides, Reason said there was no such thing as actual change. Perception with senses gave us an incorrect view of the world.
Zeno
- c. 495 BC ~, Elea
Paradoxes
- Dichotomy paradox
- That which is in locomotion must arrive at the half-way stage before it arrives at the goal. (as recounted by Aristotle, Physics)
- Achilles and the tortoise
- In a race, the quickest runner can never overtake the slowest, since the pursuer must first reach the point whence the pursued started, so that the slower must always hold a lead. (as recounted by Aristotle, Physics)
- Arrow paradox
- If everything when it occupies an equal space is at rest at that instant of time, and if that which is in locomotion is always occupying such a space at any moment, the flying arrow is therefore motionless at that instant of time and at the next instant of time but if both instants of time are taken as the same instant or continuous instant of time then it is in motion. (as recounted by Aristotle, Physics)
- It is a little bit more confusing than others. (1) Time consists of an instance of time. (2) If you look at any instance of time, the arrow occupies the same length of space and stays there. (3) Therefore, an arrow always stays in the space.
Scriptorium 