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[Meaning] things which appear plausible but are actually not plausible, instead having an entirely superficial appearance [of being so]. A superficiality is something [that can be] refuted by a little attention. Such is the form of eristic premises and deductive arguments. For instance, "he who sees has eyes"; through which it is concluded [that] the one-eyed has eyes. Also "what you say comes out of your mouth"; on the basis of this one concludes that a wagon comes out of the mouth of the man speaking of a wagon. Also "what you have not lost, you possess"; for someone hearing this concludes that you have horns, for you have not lost horns.[1] Similarly too: "he who has sight sees, and he who is sleeping has sight". For such things involve the persuasive [kind of] superficiality.

*)epipo/laia: ta\ faino/mena e)/ndoca, mh\ o)/nta de\ e)/ndoca, a)/ll' e)pipo/laion e)/xonta pantelw=s th\n fantasi/an. e)pipo/laion de/ e)sti to\ e)k braxei/as e)pistasi/as e)legxo/menon. toiou=ton de\ to\ ei)=dos tw=n e)ristikw=n prota/sewn kai\ sullogismw=n: oi(=on to\ to\n o(rw=nta o)fqalmou\s e)/xein: di' ou(= suna/getai, o( e(tero/fqalmos o)fqalmou\s e)/xei: kai\ to/, a(\ lalei=s dia\ tou= sto/mato/s sou die/rxetai: o(\ labw/n tis suna/gei to\ th\n a(/macan dia\ tou= sto/matos die/rxesqai tou= a(/macan lalou=ntos. kai/, a(\ ou)k a)pobe/blhkas e)/xeis: tou=to ga/r tis labw\n suna/gei, o(/ti ke/rata e)/xeis, ou)k a)pobe/blhkas ga\r ke/rata. o(moi/ws kai\ to/, to\n o)/yin e)/xonta o(ra=n, to\n de\ koimw/menon o)/yin e)/xein. ta\ ga\r toiau=ta e)pipo/laion e)/xei to\ piqano/n.

For the headword see already epsilon 2526 (and cf. epsilon 2528). The present entry draws on Alexander of Aphrodisias, Commentaries on Aristotle's Topica 20.6-17 (re Topica 100a25-b29).
[1] These fallacious arguments are largely taken from Diogenes Laertius 7.186-7 (= SVF 2.279), within a Stoic context.

David Whitehead (augmented notes; cosmetics) on 8 July 2003@04:29:00.
David Whitehead (modified aspects of translation; augmented and modified notes; raised status) on 20 January 2005@06:47:13.
David Whitehead (more keywords; tweaking) on 17 October 2012@08:11:49.
Catharine Roth (tweaked translation) on 7 October 2017@23:13:51.

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