Phaedo's Theory Of Recollection

The Phaedo captures the final stage of Socrates’s life in Plato’s words. In it, Socrates argues for the immortality of the human soul by explaining the Cycle of Opposites and the Theory of Forms. In the specific passage to be analyzed here, Pages 23-24, lines 73e-74c, Socrates explains the Theory of Recollection and thusly begins to explain the Theory of Forms.

Socrates begins this passage by asserting that a certain object might remind someone of a person, that a picture of a horse or a lyre might remind someone of a friend who rides horses and plays the lyre. (73e) Then the idea narrows itself narrows down so that a picture of a person might remind one of another person, that picture of Simmias might remind someone of Cebes. (73e) Finally,

However, Socrates refutes his own claim by saying that it is possible that two entities may seem equal to one person, and the same entities may seem unequal to another person, “do not equal stones and sticks sometimes, while remaining the same, appear to one to be equal and to another to be unequal?” (74b) In this case, how is it that these two people have inferred and understood Equality if the concept of Equality is different for every person? Socrates suggests that since these sticks and stones may look equal from one point of view and unequal from another point of view, then we must be inclined to propose that Equality itself is unequal: “Have they [the equals] ever appeared unequal to you, or Equality to be Inequality?” (74c) However, Socrates then comes to the logical conclusion that these two forms of equality/Equality are distinct, distinguishable ideas. “These equal things and the Equal itself are therefore not the same?” (74c) There is an absolute, eternal, and indisputable Equality that is not in this world, of which humans only receive a taste in the form of our mortal equality, whose actual quality of equality is disputable amongst humans. Thus, Socrates goes on to infer that there is non-body state before life from where we have acquired this knowledge. The same intuition that humans have to notice

These dialogues are named after the person with whom Socrates speaks; however, it is crucial to notice that Socrates is the active force that drives the conversation and makes claims that are subjective and abstract, but the person with whom he speaks is merely a passive source of affirmation. It is important to notice the responses of each of Socrates’ disciples. The “Yes”s and “πάνυ γε” (73e, “Certainly”) and “Of course”s / “φῶμεν μέντοι νὴ Δί᾽, ἔφη ὁ Σιμμίας, θαυμαστῶς γε” (74a, “Indeed we shall by Zeus, said Simmias most definitely”) each have an inner connotation that which the context illuminates. For example, Ion in Plato’s “Ion” is a dialogue characterized by its ironic and patronizing tones. Here, since Socrates is speaking from his deathbed, anyone surrounded by him will remember and revere his each syllable in order to eternalize his memory. Therefore any affirmations made by the interlocutors in this dialogue, and specifically in this passage, can be interpreted as a solemn and wholehearted agreement with Socrates’ claims.

Socrates often is guilty of modifying his statements in order to make qualifications. For example he uses phrases like “somewhat,” “to some extent,” “perhaps,” etc. These phrases distance him from the ideas that he is conveying through his speech, which