Plato's Argument On Death

Death is feared by many, yet in other communities death is celebrated with festivities. It is important that we form our own understanding of death and how it affects us because without an answer to the question “what happens after we die,” we live in fear for our entire lives when we should be enjoying the time we have in this life. The only way we can hope to find a solution to the previously mentioned question is by questioning our existence through philosophy. By this method we may find peace in the answers we find and even if we do not, we deepen our understanding on topics such as death. However, Plato’s argument in the “Phaedo” that ‘one should not be afraid of death because the fear of death would be claiming to know something we do not really know’ is a weak argument. Plato’s argument hinges on his claim that the fear is motivated by a false knowledge of an unpleasant afterlife; however, most people’s fear is spurred by the antithesis …show more content…
He is saying that we know nothing about what comes after death, so we can not judge what we do not know. It is not ok for us to be afraid of death, because we are unaware of what it really is. However, not knowing anything about death, is what makes it ok to be afraid. We call this apprehension and it is typically a sign of intelligence rather than irrationality. People do not know what is to come in the afterlife, making it scary. Our understanding of death molds how we live our lives. If a person feels the cure to life is death then he may as well end his life, which is no way to live. On the other hand, if a person approaches death with a slight fear then he will work hard while he is on the earth and will cherish the moments that are guaranteed to him. What is important for society is that everyone is comfortable with how they view death -- whether it’s through fear or through