Unpacking the Complexities of Paradidymis in Ancient Greek Philosophy

Paradidymis (Greek: παράδυμις) is a term used in ancient Greek philosophy, particularly in the works of Plato and Aristotle. It has been translated as "supposition" or "assumption", but its meaning is more complex and nuanced than these simple translations suggest.

In Plato's dialogues, paradidymis is often used to describe the hypothetical or imaginary scenarios that Socrates uses to explore philosophical questions. For example, in the Republic, Socrates uses the paradidymis of an ideal society to explore what justice might look like. In this sense, paradidymis refers to a thought experiment or a hypothetical scenario that is used to explore a philosophical concept or idea.

In Aristotle's works, paradidymis is used to describe the assumptions or premises that underlie a logical argument. For example, in his work on syllogistic reasoning, Aristotle discusses how to identify and evaluate the paradidymis of an argument, which are the assumptions that must be true for the conclusion to follow logically. In this sense, paradidymis refers to the underlying presuppositions or assumptions that are necessary for an argument to be valid.

Overall, paradidymis is a term that highlights the importance of assumptions and hypothetical scenarios in philosophical reasoning. It emphasizes the idea that our understanding of the world is shaped by the assumptions we make about it, and that these assumptions can have a profound impact on how we think about and understand reality.