In the Phaedo, Socrates introduces several arguments attempting to prove the immortality of the soul. Socrates and his followers enter intense philosophical argument regarding his theories, including the Theory of Opposites and the Theory of Forms. Examining these theories thoroughly, although Socrates’ theories are well and thoroughly thought out, there are aspects that do not completely hold up to scrutiny, including the nature of the forms and how subsequent theories falter without it.
To address the differences in the world of the mind and the physical world, Socrates theorizes about two different realms of existence. According to Socrates, there are two realms: The physical realm that is perceivable to our senses, and the transcendent, …show more content…
A single object encompasses many forms, and separate from that object those forms exist independently in the world of forms. Socrates uses the Theory of Forms to argue for the immortality of the soul in that the soul is a part of the body in the same way that a form is a part of an object; it takes shape in the body, but once it is removed, it exists only in the world of forms. The problem that arises from is that the “forms” which encompass an object are not universal. Regarding the example that Socrates himself uses, beauty is quite literally in the eye of the beholder. There is no object in the world that is universally perceived as beautiful by each individual. So, the forms that make up an object are different to every person. Although every individual agrees that there is a concept of beauty, the definition of beauty varies so widely that the only universal agreement there is is that some things are beautiful and some are not; What beauty actually encompasses is completely up for interpretation, making it not single nor harmonious like the theory claims. And, although some forms are concrete and can be universally agreed upon, such as mathematical and some scientific forms, this proves to be merely accidental rather than proof of the
To address the differences in the world of the mind and the physical world, Socrates theorizes about two different realms of existence. According to Socrates, there are two realms: The physical realm that is perceivable to our senses, and the transcendent, …show more content…
A single object encompasses many forms, and separate from that object those forms exist independently in the world of forms. Socrates uses the Theory of Forms to argue for the immortality of the soul in that the soul is a part of the body in the same way that a form is a part of an object; it takes shape in the body, but once it is removed, it exists only in the world of forms. The problem that arises from is that the “forms” which encompass an object are not universal. Regarding the example that Socrates himself uses, beauty is quite literally in the eye of the beholder. There is no object in the world that is universally perceived as beautiful by each individual. So, the forms that make up an object are different to every person. Although every individual agrees that there is a concept of beauty, the definition of beauty varies so widely that the only universal agreement there is is that some things are beautiful and some are not; What beauty actually encompasses is completely up for interpretation, making it not single nor harmonious like the theory claims. And, although some forms are concrete and can be universally agreed upon, such as mathematical and some scientific forms, this proves to be merely accidental rather than proof of the