The Manifold Beast. Animality Between Ontology and Method in Plato’s Sophist

This paper offers a reading of Plato’s Sophist centred on the image of the sophist as a “manifold beast” (226a6), described as “elusive to hunt down” (218d3). Far from being a mere metaphor, this characterisa􀆟on plays a pivotal role in the dialogue’s dialec􀆟cal development from both a methodological and an ontological perspec􀆟ve. Indeed, as a cunning prey, the sophist not only demands a sustained and flexible hunt capable of capturing him in his many guises but also compels his own hunters to reconsider their conceptual resources, ul􀆟mately leading them beyond Parmenides’ prohibi􀆟on. On this basis, the sophist’s animality –depicted as a wild beast, almost monstrous – is not merely a denigra􀆟ng device,but a theore􀆟cal one that drives philosophical inquiry into a dark and unexploredregion: the intertwining of Being and Non-Being.This paper offers a reading of Plato’s Sophist centred on the image of the sophist as a “manifold beast” (226a6), described as “elusive to hunt down” (218d3). Far from being a mere metaphor, this characterisa􀆟on plays a pivotal role in the dialogue’s dialec􀆟cal development from both a methodological and an ontological perspec􀆟ve. Indeed, as a cunning prey, the sophist not only demands a sustained and flexible hunt capable of capturing him in his many guises but also compels his own hunters to reconsider their conceptual resources, ul􀆟mately leading them beyond Parmenides’ prohibi􀆟on. On this basis, the sophist’s animality –depicted as a wild beast, almost monstrous – is not merely a denigra􀆟ng device,but a theore􀆟cal one that drives philosophical inquiry into a dark and unexploredregion: the intertwining of Being and Non-Being.