or mighty Necessity holds it in the bonds of a limit, which pens it in all round, since it is right for what is to be not incomplete; for it is not lacking; if it were, it would lack everything (39).According to this view of the world, everything remains fixed. The goddess suggests that everything we perceive in the world must be false since what we perceive is in constant motion and in a constant state of change. Parmenides notion of the Truth seems irrefutable initially. It seems obvious that anything rationally conceivable must exist since that which does not exist is literally unsayable and unthinkable. However, it does not seem difficult to think of an example that contradicts Parmenides theory. I can easily conjure up a thought, such as the image of a unicorn, which could only exist in imagination and not in reality. Would Parmenides then argue that a unicorn is in fact real? It seems he must take this stance since he states, for the same thing is for thinking and for being (37). I agree that the same thing is for thinking as is for being, but not vice-versa. In the first case, my image of a unicorn is only made possible by combining the reality of both horses and horns. In the second case though it is not possible for a unicorn to exist merely because I can think of it.Furthermore, Parmenides argues that genuine being remains unchanged. However this presents drastic consequences for our ordinary ideas about the world, which are based on the senses. Assuming that the world remains fixed, despite what we perceive, it seems reasonable to conclude that our lives are worthless in relation to the Truth, since our lives are merely misperceptions. However, even if we were to use reason to deduce the Truth, we could never fully detach ourselves from our senses. Therefore, Parmenides theory presents drastic consequences for our ordinary way of life. Furthermore, all of the sensory data we receive must translate into thoughts...
