Jedno, τὸ πᾶν i bog
One, τὸ πᾶν and god

Summary/Abstract: In the article, the author examines Xenophanes's fragments, especially those referring to his understanding of god and his views on change and plurality. According to Aristotle, Eleatics denied the essentiality of any change and surrounding multitude. It may be the case that Colophonian did not intend to reject the multiplicity of the world, but it seems certain that he could not accurately portray his attitude towards the one god. This raises further questions about the very pattern of Stagirites' fourfold causal schematism, having in mind that without the existing multitude the notion of cause becomes meaningless. Corresponding to the superficial reception of the three fragments (DK21B27, DK21B29 and DK21B33) and the fact that earth and water are mentioned in them, it could be concluded that Xenophanes advocated the learning on the so-called material cause. Actually, all three passages describe that organic life came into being from the earth, which, in order to create living beings should also be moist. The arche of the cosmos is not the subject of analysis in these fragments since, conceptually viewed, it does not have a principle. Therefore, these fragments of the poet of Colophon do not have arche-like meaning; they rather reflect him suffering the consequences of being of Ionian origin. Finally, regardless of whether Xenophanes is considered from the "Eleatic" or the "Ionian" perspective, he stands beyond possible classification that would position him within Aristotle's learning on causes, due to the structural obstacles of his doctrine.

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