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[895a] will the primary source of all their motions be anything else than the movement of that which has moved itself?

Clinias
Excellently put, and we must assent to your argument.

Athenian
Further, let us question and answer ourselves thus:—Supposing that the Whole of things were to unite and stand still,—as most of these thinkers1 venture to maintain,—which of the motions mentioned would necessarily arise in it first? That motion, of course, which is self-moving; for it will never be shifted beforehand by another thing,

1 E.g. Anaxagoras, who taught, originally, “all things were together (ὁμοῦ);” and the Eleatic School (Parmenides, etc.) asserted that the Real World (τὸ ὄν) is One and motionless; cp. Plat. Theaet. 180e.

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  • Cross-references in notes from this page (1):
    • Plato, Theaetetus, 180e
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