The Principle of Non-Contradiction in Early Greek Philosophy

✍ Scribed by Thom, Paul

• Book ID: 115476310
• Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 743 KB
• Volume: 32
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0003-6390
• DOI: 10.1515/apeiron.1999.32.3.153

✦ Synopsis

The principle of non-contradiction received ontological formulations (in terms of 'being' and 'non-being') as well as logical formulations (in terms of affirmation and denial) in early Greek philosophy. The history of these formulations is traced in the writings of Parmenides, Gorgias, Plato and Aristotle. Gorgias noticed that the principle -in Parmenides' formulation NC: 'Not (what-is-not is)' -is inconsistent with the thesis G that what-is-not is what-is-not, given a principle P whereby we can infer from 'a is b' to 'a is'. Parmenides, Gorgias, Plato and Aristotle all address the inconsistent triad {NC, G, P} in different ways.

I Parmenides

According to Scott Austin, 1 the earliest formulation of the principle of non-contradiction is that of Parmenides (born c.515 BC). The Parmenidean formulations are: Never will this prevail, that what is not is. (B7.1. Barnes translation) For neither is there anything which is not.... (B8.46.