Category: Phaedo

In the remote Peloponnesian township of Phlius, Echecrates encounters Phaedo of Elis, one of the men present during Socrates’ final hours. Eager to hear the story from a first-hand source, Echecrates presses Phaedo to tell what happened. A number of Socrates’ friends were gathered in his cell, including his old friend Crito and two Pythagorean…

The Phaedo stands alongside the Republic as the most philosophically dense dialogue of Plato’s middle period. It contains the first extended discussion of the Theory of Forms, four arguments for the immortality of the soul, and strong arguments in favor of the philosophical life. It also contains Plato’s moving account of Socrates’ final hours and…

The two seminal philosophers, Confucius, and Plato whom we have known as the father of philosophy in their respective cultures, though separated by thousands of kilometres and half a century apart, still arrived at similar answers to complex questions. In this essay, I will be discussing the similarities between Socrates as presented by Plato and…

Id like to preface this paper with the following quote, not because it is directly relevant to my thesis or point, but because I find it awesomely hilarious. Take what has to do with the body to the point of bare need, such as food, drink, clothing, house, household slaves, and cut out everything that…

The story of Crito is held in the prison cell of Socrates, where he waits for his prison sentence. His old buddy Crito, who had negotiated to sneak Socrates out of prison, visits him. Crito is a 70-year-old guy who is very rich and well-known for having a good reputation. Socrates seems quite ready for…

Throughout history, we have endlessly questioned the nature of our reality- whether or not we feel comfortable in our own skin so to speak. Prior to being awakened at birth to our version of reality, we enjoyed an existence of intelligent design- pureness created to allow for a limitless existence. It is, therefore, by that…

Why is Socrates dissatisfied with the explanations given by Anaxagoras? What does he suggest instead in Platos Phaedo? In this paper, I will first discuss the philosophy of Anaxagoras, particularly his theories on the infinite elements (chremata), and the Mind (nous). This will be followed by Socratess search for his own theory for the causes…

In Plato’s dialogue Phaedo, the title character recounts the events of the day Socrates drank the hemlock ending his life. The dialogue is mainly about the immortality of the soul. In this essay, we will explore the three arguments for the immortality of the soul, Simmias’ and Cebes’ objections, and their respective responses from Socrates.…