Phaedo

Question 1

16 Discuss Plato’s Arguments for the Immortality of the Soul

Answer 1

1. Argument of Opposites/Recurrence
2. Argument of Recollection
3. Argument of Affinity: Like Prefers Like
4. Rationalistic Argument: “Form of Life”

Question 2

what is the context of the Phaedo? (5)

Answer 2

• distancing from historical Socrates
• Phaedo is retelling the account to Echecrates, Plato wasn’t there
• Socrates’ wife is crying: take her away to dispatch sentimentality/reliance on emotions
• dialogue is a positive account of death and the possibilities awaiting Socrates once he dies: philosophical contribution to folk culture about death
• arguments are very sophisticated but not all that persuasive (Ken)

Question 3

1. Argument from opposites/recurrence (3)

Answer 3

• influenced by Parmenides: no individual things but wholes
• there is a recurrence and dialectical motion between concepts of death and life: life - death - life death
• possibility of reincarnation

Question 4

2. Argument of Recollection (4)

Answer 4

• Plato’s #3 accounts of epistemology “What is knowledge?”

1. forms, divided line, enlightenment
2. JTB: justified true belief
3. alternative: epistemology is actually recollection

• when we gain knowledge, we are simply recollecting knowledge we had in our pre-existent souls: thus my soul is immortal
• I existed before I arrived, and I will exist after.
• There was no time I knew nothing (Parmenides)

Question 5

3. Argument from Affinity: Like Prefers Like (3)

Answer 5

• The body is corruptible and is overcome with temporary desires: food sex, etc.
• The soul prefers the invisible, abstract, eternal, conceptual
• the soul will be rewarded where it won’t be distracted by bodily desires, thus the soul NEEDS to be immortal to continue enjoying invisible/perfect/eternal etc.

Question 6

4. Rationalistic Argument: “form of life” (5)

Answer 6

• Rationalistic approach: ex. think carefully about the concept of God. So, think carefully about the concept of the soul
• The soul is a FORM of life, and any form cannot be its opposite
• metaphysically the soul can be contrasted with death but cannot be dead ex. light/darkness hot/cold
• the soul is a thing that cannot be dead then, rationally
• the form of death will take over the body, but the soul will depart

Question 7

Who would be unhappy with the rationalistic argument for the soul? and Why?

Answer 7

Aristotle! Because he is the philosopher of becoming and relies on empiricism while Plato is the philosopher of being and uses rationalism to defend the immortality of the soul. Aristotle would say, “ofc the soul dies! look at the grass! when they die do their souls become immortal? no! they just die, just like us!”