Dialogue

 1 Parme|      some passages regarded as absolute and eternal, and in others
 2 Parme|     surprised to hear that the absolute one is also many. For example,
 3 Parme|     maintains the existence of absolute ideas will affirm that they
 4 Parme|    meaning?’ ‘Perfectly.’ ‘And absolute knowledge in the same way
 5 Parme|        same way corresponds to absolute truth and being, and particular
 6 Parme|       think we must admit that absolute knowledge is the most exact
 7 Parme|  involved in the assumption of absolute ideas; the learner will
 8 Parme|        between human truth and absolute truth, between gods and
 9 Parme|      ideas in us and the ideas absolute. The first of these two
10 Parme|     many nor of all, but of an absolute and perfect whole or one.
11 Parme|      each’ implies, is also an absolute one. And both the whole
12 Parme|        of view untrue, nothing absolute which is not also relative (
13 Parme|       a person could prove the absolute like to become unlike, or
14 Parme|       to become unlike, or the absolute unlike to become like, that,
15 Parme|       were to show me that the absolute one was many, or the absolute
16 Parme|  absolute one was many, or the absolute many one, I should be truly
17 Parme|        And would you also make absolute ideas of the just and the
18 Parme|        Suppose that you divide absolute greatness, and that of the
19 Parme| portion of greatness less than absolute greatness—is that conceivable?~
20 Parme|  portion of equality less than absolute equality, be equal to some
21 Parme|       into view over and above absolute greatness, and the individuals
22 Parme|      affirming the ideas to be absolute?~Yes, indeed.~And, further,
23 Parme|     maintains the existence of absolute essences, will admit that
24 Parme|        they would be no longer absolute.~True, he said; and therefore
25 Parme|    slave; now there is nothing absolute in the relation between
26 Parme|      will not knowledge—I mean absolute knowledge—answer to absolute
27 Parme|   absolute knowledge—answer to absolute truth?~Certainly.~And each
28 Parme|    Certainly.~And each kind of absolute knowledge will answer to
29 Parme|    will answer to each kind of absolute being?~Yes.~But the knowledge
30 Parme|         No, we cannot.~And the absolute natures or kinds are known
31 Parme|     are known severally by the absolute idea of knowledge?~Yes.~
32 Parme|    because we have no share in absolute knowledge?~I suppose not.~
33 Parme|        would you not say, that absolute knowledge, if there is such
34 Parme|      thing as participation in absolute knowledge, no one is more
35 Parme|     But then, will God, having absolute knowledge, have a knowledge
36 Parme|      each one of them to be an absolute unity. He who hears what
37 Parme|  everything has a class and an absolute essence; and still more
38 Parme|     But, consider:—Are not the absolute same, and the absolute other,
39 Parme|     the absolute same, and the absolute other, opposites to one
40 Parme|       wholly absent.~True.~But absolute greatness is only greater
41 Parme| greatness is only greater than absolute smallness, and smallness
42 Parme| smallness is only smaller than absolute greatness.~Very true.~Then