Thinker · c. 490–430 BCE
Zeno of Elea
Zeno defended Parmenidean conclusions by reductio arguments that expose apparent contradictions in plurality and motion.
Intellectual setting
Plato presents Zeno as Parmenides's associate, and Aristotle's discussion made the paradoxes a continuing problem for physics and mathematics.
Key ideas
Paradoxes of motion
The dichotomy, Achilles, arrow, and stadium arguments test assumptions about distance, time, and movement.
Defense by reductio
Zeno argues from opponents' assumptions to paradox rather than merely asserting Eleatic monism.
Legacy
Zeno's arguments continue to structure philosophical debates about continuity, infinity, and motion.