Logica, metafisica e teologia. La ricezione del Parmenide nel medioplatonismo

The present study has the purpose of establishing the role that Plato's Parmenides has had in the middleplatonic philosophy. This research is therefore intended to answer to a key question: was the Parmenides integrated in the readings and in the exegesis of the middleplatonists? And, if so, what role did it play in them? This question will be addressed by taking into account some of the most important middleplatonic authors and by examining, for each one, those aspects of their thinking that likely show a dependence on the Platonic Parmenides. It should be emphasized, first of all, that this theme presents peculiar difficulties to the extent that in all the middleplatonic texts that have come to us, often in an indirect and fragmentary form, the presence of Parmenides seems rather marginal and hardly demonstrable. However, as I will try to demonstrate, in the writings we have, we can still trace the elements that justify the hypothesis of a specific reception of the dialogue in the Middleplatonism. Each author will be firstly presented in a general way, framing from time to time the philosophical context and the central doctrines. Subsequently, the most promising steps for this research will be examined in order to show particular concepts and theories that can be traced back to, or derived from, what Plato has established in the Parmenides. In most cases, the connections between the Parmenides and the author dealt with are terminological similarities, content affinities, and repetitions of themes that are in the Parmenides. In any case, the closure of each section (each corresponding to the examination of an author, or one or more specific doctrinal aspects) will present brief general conclusions, in which will be expressed my opinions regarding the possible presence and role of the Parmenides... [edited by Author]