The Argument from Illusion in Gorgias’ Treatise On What Is Not
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14195/1984-249X_35_18Keywords:
Gorgias, nonbeing, illusion, Lazerowitz, perceptionAbstract
The argument from illusion which is also known as the argument from perceptual relativity or from conflicting appearances and sense-impressions, has occurred in many thinkers from antiquity to the present. The conclusions drawn from that argument are different from philosopher to philosopher. In Plato's Republic, the case of the crooked object when in water and similar cases show that there is a weakness in our nature within us revealed by the fact that our sight is liable to illusion and confusion. Aristotle's Protagoreans concluded that one's beliefs about whatever appears, let us say, cold or not cold is true and proceeded to a denial of the principle of contradiction. In Sextus Empiricus, it justifies a scepticism about belief and knowledge in general. In Descartes, it justifies a scepticism about the senses. In Ayer, the argument from illusion proves the existence of sense-data. My intention herewith is to show how Gorgias uses the argument from illusion treating it as related to the problems of the philosophy of perception. No attention has been paid to this issue in the literature.
Downloads
References
AYER, A. J. (1980). The Problem of Knowledge Harmondsworth, Penguin.
AYER, A.J. (1991). The Central Questions of Philosophy Harmondsworth, Penguin.
BAKAOUKAS, M. (2001). Gοrgias the sophist on non-being: a wittgensteinian interpretation. SORITES, ISSN 1135-1349, Issue 13, p. 80-89.
BAKAOUKAS, M. (2002). Nothing exists. A history of the philosophy of non-being California, Xlibris.
BAKAOUKAS, M. (2012a). Gorgias vs the Eleatics and the Atomists. Gorgias’ Antiplatonic Theory of Nonbeing as Imagery. Ex Nihilo Spring 2012, p. 85-116.
BAKAOUKAS, M. (2012b). NONEXISTENCE. A comparative-historical analysis of the problem of nonbeing. E-LOGOS, 4/2014, p. 1-26.
BEKKER, I. (1960). Aristotelis Opera Berlin, De Gruyter.
BARNES, J. (1993). The Presocratic Philosophers London, Routledge.
BRITTON, K. (1952). Symposium: “Seeming”. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volume 26, p. 195-252.
BURGIN, Mark. (2017) Ideas of Plato in the Context of Contemporary Science and Mathematics. Athens Journal of Humanities & Arts 4, Issue 3, p. 161-182.
BURKHARDT, H.; SMITH, B. (eds.) (1991). Handbook of Metaphysics and Ontology Berlin, Philosophia.
BURY, R. G. (1935). Sextus Empiricus, with an English Translation. London, Heinemann.
CURD, P. (2016) Empedocles on sensation, perception and thought. In: IERODIAKONOU, K.; HASPER, P. S. (eds). Ancient Epistemology: Logical Analysis and History of Philosophy Münster, Brill Mentis, p. 38-57.
DIELS, H.; KRANZ, W. (1960). Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker Berlin, Weidmann.
DRETSKE, F. (1969). Seeing and Knowing Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
HACKER, P. M. S. (1972). Insight and Illusion. Wittgenstein on Philosophy and the Metaphysics of Experience Oxford, Clarendon Press.
HETT, W. S. (1936). Aristotle. Minor Works London, Heinemann.
HIRST, R. J. (1959). The Problems of Perception New South Wales, Allen & Unwin.
KALLIGAS, P. (1981). Gorgiou Logoi. Deucalion 36, p. 275-284.
KANT, I. (1999). Critique of Pure Reason Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
KENNY, A. (1967). The Argument from Illusion in Aristotle’s Metaphysics (Γ 1009-10). Mind 76, p. 184-197.
KERFERD, G. B. (1981). The Interpretation of Gorgias' Treatise Peri tou me ontos e Peri Physeos Deucalion 36. p. 319-327.
LAZEROWITZ, M. (1968). Philosophy and illusion New South Wales, Allen & Unwin .
MACDOWELL, J. (1978). Plato. Theaetetus Oxford, Oxford University Press.
MACDOWELL, D. M. (1982). Gorgias' Encomium of Helen Bristol, Bristol Classical Press.
MAZZARA, G. (1984). Democrite et Gorgia. Proceedings of the 1st International Congress on Democritus 2, p. 233-241.
MELIKOVA-TOLSTAJA, S. (1935). Une Theorie de la Vision chez Gorgias (in Russian), Archives de l'Histoire. des Sciences et des Techniques 7, p. 367-374.
MODRAK, D. K. W. (1989). Aristotle: The Power of Perception Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.
MOURELATOS, P. D. A. (1987). Gorgias on the Function of Language. Philosophical Topics 15, n. 2, p. 135-170.
PEARS, D. F. (1976). The Causal Conditions of Perception. Synthese 33, n. 1, p. 25-40.
QUINTON, A. M. (1952). Symposium: “Seeming”, Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society Supplementary Volume 26. p. 195-252.
DUKE, E. A.; HICKEN W. F.; NICOLL, W. S. M.; STRACHAN, J. C. G. (1995). Plato. Platonis Opera Vol. I & II, Theaetetus, Sophista, Parmenides. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
ROSS, D. (1928). The Works of Aristotle, vol. VIII: Metaphysica Oxford, Oxford University Press.
RYLE, Gilbert (1990). Logical Atomism in Plato’s Theaetetus. Phronesis 35. p. 21-46.
SAUNDERS, J. T.; HENZE, D. F. (1967). The Private Language Problem New York, Random House.
SCHIAPPA, E; HOFMANN, St. (1994). Intertextual Argument in Gorgias’ On What is Not: A Formalization of Sextus Adv. Math. 7.77-80. Philosophy and Rhetoric 27. p. 156-161.
STRAWSON, P. F. (1979). Perception and its Objects. In: MACDONALD. G. F. (ed.). Perception and Identity: Essays Presented to A. J. Ayer with his replies to them New York, Cornell University Press, p. 41-60.
TREDENNICK, H. (1938). Aristotle. The Metaphysics I-IX London, Heinemann.
UNTERSTEINER, M. (1954). The Sophists Oxford, Basil Blackwell.
WALTERS, D. (1994). Gorgias as Philosopher of Being: Epistemic Foundationalism in Sophistic Thought. Philosophy and Rhetoric 27, n. 2, p. 143-155.
WILSON, C. J. (1967). The Relation of Knowing to Thinking. In: GRIFFITH, A. P. (ed.). Knowledge and Belief Oxford, Oxford University Press , p. 16-27.
WITTGESTEIN, L. (1953). Philosophical Investigations New York, Wiley-Blackwell.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Michael Bakaoukas
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Given the public access policy of the journal, the use of the published texts is free, with the obligation of recognizing the original authorship and the first publication in this journal. The authors of the published contributions are entirely and exclusively responsible for their contents.
1. The authors authorize the publication of the article in this journal.
2. The authors guarantee that the contribution is original, and take full responsibility for its content in case of impugnation by third parties.
3. The authors guarantee that the contribution is not under evaluation in another journal.
4. The authors keep the copyright and convey to the journal the right of first publication, the work being licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License-BY.
5. The authors are allowed and stimulated to publicize and distribute their work on-line after the publication in the journal.
6. The authors of the approved works authorize the journal to distribute their content, after publication, for reproduction in content indexes, virtual libraries and similars.
7. The editors reserve the right to make adjustments to the text and to adequate the article to the editorial rules of the journal.
