ipl-logo

Socrates Phaedo Analysis

988 Words4 Pages

The Resident of Invisible District
Anybody knows what is “immortality”? According to Merriam-Webster, “immortality” is referring to the quality or state of someone or something that will never die or be forgotten. Whether a person accepts it or not, the concept of “immortality soul” is always a part of the religions’ teaching, for example: Judaism, Hinduism and many others. Generally speaking, people do care about the existence of their soul overall. Socrates was one of biggest proponent of the immortal soul. In Plato’s Phaedo, Socrates spent his last day on earth to argue about the immortality soul with his friends: Simmias and Cebes. At the beginning of his dialogue, Socrates claimed the immortal soul by opposition, recollection and affinity …show more content…

Significantly, the soul was different kind from the harmony. Unlike harmony, the soul was independent object and overpower its components. Secondly, he proved Simmias that the soul was not a harmony by demonstrated only the harmony admits degree. This is Socrates’ argument:
“Will it not, if it more and more fully harmonized, be more and more fully a harmony, and if it is less and less fully harmonized, it will be less and less fully a harmony (93 b). One soul is said to have intelligence and virtue and to be good, another to have folly and wickedness and to be bad (93 c). That being the case, could one soul have more wickedness or virtue than another, if wickedness is disharmony and virtue harmony (93 e)?
In this context, Socrates showed Simmias that harmony is limited to one extent and admit to the degree of either more or less, but the soul contained a broad content without restriction of degree or law. The most important thing was the existence of harmony was after the built of string and lyre, while the soul was existing before a human body. In short, the soul is a genus (form), but harmony is just one kind of

Show More
Related

The Fallacy Of Equivocation In Republic By Socrates

990 Words | 4 Pages

At the end of Book I of Plato’s Republic, Socrates attempts to persuade Thrasymachus that the just lead a happier and more flourishing life than the unjust (354a). He argues that justice is the virtue of the soul, which allows the soul to perform its ergon, or function, with excellence. Because the soul’s function is to live, justice allows the soul to live with excellence. In this paper, I shall present and critically examine Socrates’ reasoning behind this conclusion. The argument subtly commits the fallacy of equivocation because the term function is ambiguous.

Read More

Analysis Of Clarence Darrow's The Myth Of The Soul

745 Words | 3 Pages

In response to the long-standing philosophical question of immorality, many philosophers have posited the soul criterion, which asserts the soul constitutes personal identity and survives physical death. In The Myth of the Soul, Clarence Darrow rejects the existence of the soul in his case against the notion of immortality and an afterlife. His primary argument against the soul criterion is that no good explanation exists for how a soul enters a body, or when its beginning might occur. (Darrow 43) After first explicating Darrow 's view, I will present what I believe is its greatest shortcoming, an inconsistent use of the term soul, and argue that this weakness impacts the overall strength of his argument.

Read More

Analysis Of Euthyphro And Socrates

484 Words | 2 Pages

HUM2225 Dr. Hotchkiss September 30, 2016 Moral Insight Plato’s Euthyphro is based on a lesson between Socrates and Euthyphro outside of the Athenian court about the definition of pious or impious. Euthyphro was surprised to see Socrates there and even more curious to find out why he was there. Socrates explained that the court was persecuting him for impiety because Meletus was spreading rumors about him corrupting the Athenian youth. Euthyphro explains to Socrates that he was there to prosecute his father for murdering a farm worker named Dionysus.

Read More

Arguments For Plato's Apology

376 Words | 2 Pages

No matter which path death is, death is a gain. One will either be a peaceful sleep, or a journey to another world filled with intelligent people and knowledge. He had support to his theory, but only talked about conversing with people from the past. The apology is repetitive in the last two paragraphs because Socrates desired to talk to all these different people. He did not clarify as to why living on Earth was cruel and that death was the only answer.

Read More

Explain The Opposites Of Bigness According To Socrates

332 Words | 2 Pages

Plato claims that the soul is immortal because of his argument of Opposites, to which I agree. Socrates says, “For all things that come to be… [come] from their opposites if they have such...” and “…those that have an opposite must…come to be from their opposite and from nowhere else.” (70e) Socrates argues the opposites of Bigness and Smallness. For something to be considered big, it must have first been smaller, and for something to be considered small, it must have come from being big.

Read More

Socrates Argumentative Analysis

1225 Words | 5 Pages

In Plato’s dialogue Phaedo, he explains the soul and comes to the conclusion that the soul is immortal. Through describing the last hours of Socrates life before his execution, he lays out three arguments in support of the idea that while the body may cease to exist the soul cannot perish. In this paper, I will explicate Socrates three arguments for the immortality of the soul and their objections. Then I will argue on the presupposition of the Law of Conservation of Mass, that the universe, entailing the soul, must be cyclical. The Law of Conservation of Mass

Read More

The Final Argument Of Plato's Phaedo

411 Words | 2 Pages

However, the number three cannot ever be even for it holds a natural form of oddity that cannot be changed, the same is found with immortality. A soul cannot admit to death, which is the opposite of its essence immortality just as the number three cannot admit to being even. Leading to Plato’s conclusion of how a soul then must have to retreat, connecting back to Socrates believing death is best characterized by the soul separating from

Read More

Socrates Argument Analysis

1715 Words | 7 Pages

Throughout the nation today, some of the most divisive disagreements that arise often center around the push for state rights as opposed to an expansion of an already big government. Under the current Trump administration, the debate over how much power each side should have is being seen today. On one hand, California, home to many undocumented immigrants, is pushing for sanctuary laws, which can be seen argued through natural law. While on the other hand, the federal government argues they have all the power to enforce current immigration statutes, which can be better discussed in a positive law point of view. With respect to the views of past philosophers, the thinkers who explored more of a positive law path have a stronger argument for

Read More

What Are Socrates Ideas About Death

564 Words | 3 Pages

He also believes that it is not difficult to refrain from death, but it is difficult to stay away from evil since it surrounds us all. Doing something evil and sinful will torment one’s soul forever, even after death. Socrates believes

Read More

Socrates And Euthyphro's Argument Analysis

893 Words | 4 Pages

Socrates clearly states, in support of this opinion that that according to Euthyphro’s account,

Read More

Thrasymachus Definition Of Justice Analysis

1470 Words | 6 Pages

One of the potentially faulty arguments Socrates uses to ponder Thrasymachus’ definition of justice involves considering injustice within a single person. In other words, this means thinking about conflict within an individual’s “soul”. In his treatment of Thrasymachus’ position that

Read More

Analysis Of Socrates: Four Dialogues, By Plato

1595 Words | 7 Pages

Socrates is quoted as stating, “An unexamined life is a life not worth living” (38 a). Socrates was a founding figure of western philosophy, and a stable for many ideas. He lived in Athens, Greece teaching his students, like Plato, questioning politics, ethical choices, and many other things in Greek society. In the Trial and death of Socrates: Four Dialogues by Plato, it explores the abstract questioning Socrates had towards many of the normal social properties, which led to his trial, resulting in his death. The most important aspects discussed in the dialogues is the questioning of what is pious and impious, what it means to be wise, and good life.

Read More

Alcibiades Plato Analysis

1013 Words | 5 Pages

Socrates in the dialogue Alcibiades written by Plato provides an argument as to why the self is the soul rather than the body. In this dialogue Alcibiades and Socrates get into a discussion on how to cultivate the self which they both mutually agree is the soul, and how to make the soul better by properly taking care of it. One way Socrates describes the relationship between the soul and the body is by analogy of user and instrument, the former being the entity which has the power to affect the latter. In this paper I will explain Socrates’ arguments on why the self is the soul and I will comment on what it means to cultivate it.

Read More

Trial And Death Of Socrates Analysis

1191 Words | 5 Pages

Socrates states that a good philosopher should not fear death, but rather embrace it and look forward to it. This is also where he comes out with the four claims of the separation of the soul and the body. With this point Socrates is trying to explain to Cebes, Simmias, and the others in the room that the soul is everlasting and outlives every body that it is ever in. They agree that the soul is long lasting but does not live forever. This is the end for Socrates as him and Crito head to the bath chamber and return to say goodbye to his three sons and the women of the household.

Read More

Plato's Argument On Why The Soul Is Alive

524 Words | 3 Pages

In the Republic, Plato gives an argument saying the soul is immortal. In this paper I will present his argument and show that his argument is invalid. I will show why the conclusion is not true and restate the argument to make it valid to help with Socrates’ claim. Plato’s argument on why the soul is immortal: 1. Something can only be destroyed by the thing that is bad for it.

Read More

More about Socrates Phaedo Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document