The thought of Plato, of Aristotle, and of the heroes of modern philosophy is ever proving anew its fructifying power. Nowhere do we find such instructive errors as in the sphere of philosophy; nowhere is the new so essentially a completion and development of the old, even though it deem itself the whole and assume a hostile attitude toward its predecessors; nowhere is the inquiry so much more important than the final result; nowhere the categories "true and false" so inadequate. The spirit of the time and the spirit of the people, the individuality of the thinker, disposition, will, fancy -- all these exert a far stronger influence on the development of philosophy, both by way of promotion and by way of hindrance, than in any other department of thought. If a system gives classical expression to the thought of an epoch, a nation, or a great personality; if it seeks to attack the world-riddle from a new direction, or brings us nearer its solution by important original conceptions, by a subtler or a simpler comprehension of the problem, by a wider outlook or a deeper insight; it has accomplished more than it could have done by bringing forward a number of indisputably correct principles.

Question

(from History of Modern Philosophy by Richard Falkenberg)

Which device does the author use throughout the passage?

1.
parallelism

2.
rhetorical question

3.
paradox

4.
simile

Answer 1

The author uses parallelism throughout the passage. This can be seen in the structure of phrases and clauses that are similar in form, such as "by way of promotion and by way of hindrance" and "important original conceptions, by a subtler or a simpler comprehension," which create a rhythm and emphasize the ideas being presented.