According to Socrates and Plato, a true philosopher welcomes death. What arguments are presented to support their beliefs?
Socrates/Plato believed that humans consist of body and soul (dualism) and that is one of the main reason that Socrates says that a true philosopher shouldn’t fear death because once the carnal flesh is put to death along with it natural desires the soul is free to experience this type of utopian realm of perfect equality and absolute beauty.
The first supportive argument used is the law of nature that opposites produce opposites and this process is a recurring, meaning just as being awake results from being asleep so Socrates conclude that this recurring process also pertains to life and death. Just as death results
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from being alive, being alive must result from being dead. The second supportive argument is based on the hypothesis that because we have knowledge of these perfect realities like absolute equality and absolute beauty so since this knowledge could not have been acquired through natural senses and bodily means but acquired before we were born. Genuine knowledge is a recollection of something it previously learned when it existed in an unembodied state. Socrates/Plato’s third and final argument for the immortal soul/spirit is based on the theory that these perfect realities (or Forms) exist. Socrates claims that the perfect realities in dissimilarity to their sensual copies are invisible, unchangeable and akin to the divine. The selection of Phaedo ends with Socrates venturing on about the prospects of the soul once it leaves the body. He concludes that a pure soul will escape rebirth and dwell in the realm of the perfect realities id est. immortality or eternity but the impure soul will be dragged to earth again and embodied in a suitable form. Does their perspective apply to everyone? This is a very broad question but to narrow it down absolutely not it is a matter of what a Hu-man person believes and now we are entering the chaotic world of religion, lies and deceptions. Man believes that we have a body, soul and spirit and that the soul is dual one part being the intellect (mind) and the other being the emotions (belly). How does knowledge of their beliefs contribute to your understanding of death, including suicide?
I believe it may give a person who has not been properly indoctrinated by something to ponder and question still arriving at the same point and that is more questions about is there life after death, heaven or hell and if I commit suicide which some believe is the same as murder but self-inflicted will I be accepted into a utopian eternity or a burning hell or maybe take the philosophical way out and choose reincarnation a theory present in Socrates/Plato’s Phaedo.
Maxine Sheets-Johnstone argues that the female body as being powerless because of social and political because of traditional Western Civilization’s irreconcilable differences between male dominance and female passivity. Sheets-Johnstone uses example of women being represented as holes especially when it comes to the genitalia also religion showing women to be second class citizens lacking something males have.
Women are look upon as simple sex objects there to be use at the will of man just a woman being in a room with men in Sheets-Johnstone eye they are at risk they don’t have to be presenting themselves in a provocative manner but will be look upon as nothing but a piece of meat. The ancient Greek’s portrayed them as something to be penetrated and
dominated. Foucault saw the body as the prison of the soul also he believed that the soul is not a substance but a product of the power relationships portrayed in society. Foucault’s concept of power-knowledge rejects the traditional philosophical claim that knowledge must be unbiased disconnecting itself from the contemplations of power. He goes on to say that “Knowledge and power directly implicate one another”. How do your own views about embodiment compare with or differ from their views? I still lean toward Socrates/Plato’s theory to a certain extent when it comes to the soul dwells within the body so absolutely disagree with Michel Foucault especially his views about the soul serving as a tool subjugating the subordinate members of society to persons in power (microphysics of power). I believe that in today’s modern society that women have come a long way when it comes to equal rights and equal pay, etc. but I think women have taken a giant leap backwards when it comes to be looked upon as nothing more than a vagina because on their quest for freedom they forgot that they are not men but women. They also lost the respect and honor that men gave to them like opening doors, pulling out chairs… so they can thank themselves for that Maxine Sheets-Johnstone everybody has a purpose and position stop trying to be something or someone you are not.
He views death as a separation of the soul from the body when the body and soul are together it is life. He believed this so powerfully, that he did not only fear death but welcomed it. Socrates believed that he had to live a life full and hope for death. He had to convince his disciples Cebes and Simmias to be okay with his death since they did not believe in his beliefs. Socrates believed that men were the property of the gods and stated, “it is gods who care for us, and for the gods, we human beings are among their belongings. Don't you think so?” (Phaedo, 62b). Cebes was in an agreement with Socrates on that argument. They both believed that if a man kills himself he will be punished. Cebes suggest that when the soul leaves a body, it may dissipate, no longer existing as one unit. However, Socrates argues that in favor of this myth, souls after death will eventually return to the world in other bodies. Everything that comes to come from its opposites that is explained in the first argument. Simmias then argues that destroying a body will destroy the soul in it. Cebes declares that there is no proof that the souls are immortal and suffer no negative effects after each death and rebirth. Socrates tries to convince his friends with the Argument of Opposites and the Theory of Forms. Socrates hopes that the theory of forms will help explain causation and proof of the
Socrates a classical Greek philosopher and character of Plato’s book Phaedo, defines a philosopher as one who has the greatest desire of acquiring knowledge and does not fear death or the separation of the body from the soul but should welcome it. Even in his last days Socrates was in pursuit of knowledge, he presents theories to strengthen his argument that the soul is immortal. His attempts to argue his point can’t necessarily be considered as convincing evidence to support the existence of an immortal soul.
In “The Apology” and “Euthyphro”, Plato creates a picture of the principles Socrates has on philosophy and wisdom. Since there are know direct pieces of literature written by Socrates, all of the information about him are composed by other Philosophers who encountered him. So when I refer to Socrates, it means the character depicted by Plato. I will argue that some important characteristics of philosophy and being a philosopher is evident by comparing Socrates with Euthyphro because of how he sees knowledge is obtained combined with the impact with which religion has on society.
Although Socrates and Pericles are in different situations while giving their speeches, they both talk about things that let you, as the reader, see their views on certain points. One of the key points they agree upon is death.
In the book Plato 's Phaedo, Socrates argues that the soul will continue to exist, and that it will go on to a better place. The argument begins on the day of Socrates execution with the question of whether it is good or bad to die. In other words, he is arguing that the soul is immortal and indestructible. This argument is contrary to Cebes and Simmias beliefs who argue that even the soul is long lasting, it is not immortal and it is destroyed when the body dies. This paper is going to focus on Socrates four arguments for the soul 's immortality. The four arguments are the Opposite argument, the theory of recollection, the affinity argument, and the argument from form of life. As the body is mortal and is subject to physical death, the soul
Ancient Greek and Christianity both have different vision of death. Therefore, the idea of death and the afterlife was contrarily shown in the two texts. Death permeates Hamlet from the beginning of the tragedy through the ghost of king Hamlet. Suicide was desirable way to replace suffering the life but it is forbidden by the Christian religion. Also Hamlet explains how the body return to dust at the end and what happen in the afterlife. However, death in apology by Plato was unknown idea thus Socrates does not fear it. In addition death is an honourable thing for men. For Socrates death is the nonexistence or the transmigration of the soul.
We have two great philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. These are great men, whose ideas have not been forgotten over years. Although their thoughts of politics were similar, we find some discrepancies in their teachings. The ideas stem from Socrates to Plato to Aristotle. Plato based moral knowledge on abstract reason, while Aristotle grounded it on experience and tried to apply it more to concrete living. Both ways of life are well respected by many people today.
Socrates argues that one shouldn't fear death because it is actually a blessing. His premises for this conclusion are as follows. First of all, either death is nothingness or a relocation of the soul. If death is nothingness, then it is a blessing. If death is a relocation of the soul, then it is a blessing. Therefore death is a blessing (Plato's Apology (1981) 40c-41c.) In examining this argument, it is valid because the premises do entail the conclusion. Socrates doesn't have to argue that death is nothingness or relocation. He simply had to show that if death is one or the other, it is a blessing.
“Women are not only associated with and defined by the ‘inferior’ realm of flesh (while men represent ‘mind’ and ‘spirit’) but they also are told they must rise above their carnal appetites,” ...
First and foremost, Socrates believed that when a person dies the body is what seems to die while the soul continues to live and exist. Although many suggested that when the body dies the soul dies with it, Socrates provides numerous arguments to prove his point otherwise. The arguments that were presented consisted of The argument of Reincarnation, The argument of Opposites, The argument of Recollection, and The argument of Forms. The argument that was most convincing for me was that of the Argument of Forms because Socrates makes his most compelling arguments here and it’s the most effective. On the other hand, the argument that I saw to be the least convincing was that of the Argument of Recollection and Reincarnation because both arguments fail to fully support the idea of the soul being immortal.
Socrates discusses that people should not fear death because we do not know the qualities of death. Even though we do not know what death is, he makes some suggestions for the possibilities after death. He suggests that maybe death is just an endless sleep without dreaming, it is where we can finally come to peace with ourselves. He also suggest that maybe in the afterlife he will be able to meet heroic people in the past, where he can share his experience and question people to see whether they are wise. Even in death Socrates is still going to practice philosophy even if the place is bad. Even if he did not live a just life that he thought he did, he can examine what he did wrong and fix the problems in the after life. I agree with Socrates
Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato were two of the most influential and knowledgeable ancients in our history. Their contributions and dedication to science, language and politics are immensely valued centuries later. But while the two are highly praised for their works, they viewed several subjects entirely differently, particularly education practices, and human ethics and virtue.
Plato believed that the body and the soul were two separate entities, the body being mortal and the soul being immortal. In Plato’s phaedo, this is further explained by Socrates. He claims that by living a philosophical life, we are able to eventually free the soul from the body and its needs. If we have not yield to our bodily needs, we should not fear death, since it can than permanently detach the soul from the body. The most convincing argument for the immortality of the body is the theory of recollection, which shows that we are already born with knowledge of forms and that learning is thus recalling these ideas. If we are already born with knowledge this implies that are soul is immortal, since it would otherwise be a blank page.
Socrates was an insightful philosopher who had an opinion on all the basic fundamental questions. He had very strong beliefs that he willed others into believing through questioning and proving ignorance in others beliefs. He has particular views on every fundamental question and particular views on how people should live their lives. He says God has spoken to him about philosophy and says that it is his destiny and it is his calling in life. Through philosophy he searches for answers to the fundamental questions and gains wisdom and knowledge. The fundamental question of condition is the question of what, if anything, has gone wrong with the world? The question of solution is what can fix the problem? Then there is Death which asks what happens
Socrates also believed that philosophers look upon death with good cheer and hope. This I find