Plato's theory of soul / Phaedo

Prohibition of suicide 

• According to camus 

• Even in cases of death we have no right to commit suicide 

• Socrates arguments for this 

  • We are prisoners and so we have no right to open to door to our prison and run away 

  • The gods are our masters and we are their possessions, if we commit suicide without their permission they will be angry and want to punish us 

• Cebes objects: if gods are our masters then we should want to remain in their service, we should not rejoice but grieve at the idea of death 

Socrates apology 

• Death is the separation of body and soul, and philosophers are concerned with the soul and pursuit of wisdom. The body hinders us in the pursuit of wisdom, in that we can only acquire it after death. Therefore, philosophers should rejoice in the face of death 

• The body hinders argument - we acquire knowledge through though alone and bodily need prevent us from having leisure to think 

• Cebes and simmias question Socrates argument for soundness since this argument only works if death is a separation of the soul and body and the soul services this separation  

Three kinds of character 

• The lover of money - who abstains from and endures bodily pleasures and pains due to a fear of poverty 

• The lover of power and honor - who abstains and ensures due to fear of dishonour or disgrace 

• The lover of knowledge  - who abstains and endures due to the fear that pleasure and pains are like nails which attach the soul to the body, preventing it from ascending to the realm of the forms 

Misology

• Misology - greatest evil. Belief that an argument is true then later believe its false, this can happen multiple times and the person will start to believe there are no true arguments

  • argumentation and reasoning 

  • How can one live without belief in the truth of arguments 

• Misanthropy - hate for humans, usually men, starts from lack of trust in people