Phaedo

Plato’s Phaedo is a philosophical work that takes the form of a dialogue between Socrates and a group of his acquaintances, including Thebans, Cebes and Simmias. The dialogue is told from the perspective of Phaeton, a student of Socrates’, and in the work Socrates and his friends discuss a number of theories and topics, including The Cycle of Opposites Argument, The Theory of Recollection, The Exclusion of Opposites, and the Affinity Argument. Through the use of the mentioned theories, Plato…

The µῦθος of Theseus and the Minotaur is alluded to near the start of Plato’s Phaedo by the character Phaedo (58 B-C) to initiate a parallel between the µῦθος itself and the teachings of the character Socrates in the pages that follow. As the discussion between Socrates and his companions continues up until his death, this parallel becomes ever more clear, and by the end of the Phaedo it is reasonable to interpret the µῦθος as an analogy for the transition from life to death, where Socrates is…

In Phaedo one of the main concepts that Socrates discusses is the relationship between the soul and death. Most specifically, Cebes questions Socrates’ argument that the soul is immortal. In his argument, Socrates cites the concept of opposites as evidence that the soul is survived after death. He states that everything in life has an opposite. So, if life breds death, then death must bred life. This must mean that the soul is survived when the body dies and is passed on to another form to…

understanding of knowledge and human excellence. One of the most popular arguments is the comparison of mind and body. Through this paper I will go in depth on the individuals theories and discoveries, then compare them using the ideas from Plato’s Phaedo and Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy. Both philosophers share the same ideas on dualism, and believe the body to be inferior to the mind and/or soul. During the Golden Age of Pericles ' Athens, Plato, an intellectual individual,…

similarities between Buddha and Socrates' principles on the subject of death. Claiming that 'openness,' 'equanimity,' and self-assurance in the way of life is the shared fundamental schooling of these two noble teachers in account, Dillon uses Plato's Phaedo and…

Plato’s forms were objective ideas of perfection of a concept. The forms are an essence of a concept, or a model for the individual, the ideal state. In the dialogue, the Phaedo Socrates is defending his theory of recollection through explaining notions of the forms. “For our argument applies not merely to the equal, but with the same force to the beautiful itself, the good itself, the just, the holy, in fact, as I have just said, to everything upon which we affix our seal and mark as being.” (p…

Death is shared among all living things, but whether it is bad varies depending on beliefs and values. Socrates explains in the Phaedo that death is not bad and he looks forward to death as a philosopher. His main reason as to why he looks forward to death is his belief that the soul is immortal. In Phaedo Socrates says that he and other philosophers spend their whole life preparing for death and strengthening their souls. While on the other hand, The Death of Ivan Ilych, by Leo Tolstoy tells a…

detailed in Plato’s Phaedo and shown in The Death of Socrates painting by David, the story of Socrates is filled with sorrow, grief, and guilt, yet his character remained in a truly humble state despite an imminent death. Both pieces of art portrayed Socrates in a manner which placed him in an authoritative and respected stature amongst those around him; however, what emotions that could be concluded from each example depend on what point of view is taken. In Plato’s Phaedo,…

At the beginning of Plato’s Phaedo Socrates tries to explain to his friends why he is “of good cheer in the face of death” (63e). He argues that those who practice philosophy are actually training in preparation for death. It would be absurd for philosophers to be fearful or resentful of death, he argues, since they have wanted and practiced for it a long time (64a–68a). In this paper I shall present Socrates’ argument for this conclusion and critically evaluate it. The argument appears to…

simplest form is the pursuit of wisdom (merriam-webster.com). Throughout the ages, the world has seen many philosophers pursue this wisdom in many forms. Men like Plato, Aristotle and Socrates were all incredibly popular. With works such as the Apology Phaedo Symposium Republic by Plato and the whole idea of logic itself, it’s no wonder. Socrates in particular is incredibly well known. He was the teacher of many highly regarded men like Plato.Men who went on to teach people like Alexander the…