Meaning Of Life In Plato's The Myth Of Er

The tale regarding the afterlife and the transmigration of souls which concludes Plato’s Republic, written in approximately 380 BCE, has since altered the way in which people view the meaning of life. His legend entitled The Myth of Er depicts a man’s exploration of the afterlife and ultimately serves as motivation for people to better themselves so that they may have a more pleasant future after death. Plato’s iconic story forever impacted religious and philosophical thought. For instance, it greatly inspired Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BCE-23 BCE), a Roman lawyer, politician, and philosopher, as seen through his rendition of The Myth of Er which is called The Dream of Scipio (Ferguson, 2018). Additionally, parallels between Plato’s myth and

Today, reincarnation and the everlasting presence of one’s soul is an esoteric belief present in modern Kabbalah (Judaic mysticism). Similar to that present in both Plato’s story and Cicero’s legend, the explanation stems from the desire to answer life’s biggest questions such as “What is the meaning of life?” and“Why do innocent children die young?”. All three agree that in order to benefit from the life you have been given, one must in turn better the world they live in and indulge themselves in studies beyond those which are bound to the earth. Both Jewish mysticism and Plato claim that those souls who die young do as punishment for poor behavior in a past life and an inability to change for the better (Dobuv, 2009). The Kabbalistic term for transmigration of souls (in Latin “animas”) is in Hebrew “gilgul” meaning wheel or cycle. Kabbalists, who were clearly influenced by the great philosophers of the ancient world, believe that souls travel beyond the binding of earth, and that each of us possess an ancient soul that was present in many lifetimes prior to this one, as did Plato. Followers of this branch of Judaism share the idea that every practicer of this doctrine has a soul called “Nefesh Elokit” which is described as something that “exists both before its descent into the body and after the ascent from the body” (Dobuv, 2009). Additionally, they believe that every soul is taken on a heavenly tour, similar to Er’s, in which it is shown both the Garden of Eden and Hell (“Gehinom”). After death, Kabbalist souls are judged like Greek ones and temporarily sent to either a place of fire or a peaceful location before becoming reincarnated. Additionally, their theory ties religious acts and “Mitzvahs” to a happier time post one’s passing. While it is very much modified, these beliefs have striking