Phaedo by Plato :: Papers

Phaedo by PlatoThe main theme behind the Phaedo is Socrates readiness and willingness to die, because of his flavor of immortality. Socrates believed that when his body ceased to exist anymore, that his soul would leave and join that of the forms, where he would be etern every(prenominal)y. Socrates believed so strongly in this, that not merely did he not fear his death, he welcomed it. He believed that only when the soul separated from the body, is a person able to be truly enlightened and gain all knowledge. This enlightenment has been Socrates life long goal of discovering the truth. Even at his minute of death, Socrates showed no hesitation. However, Socrates friends did not believe so strongly, and took some great exchange by Socrates, to allow his friends to be okay with his death. The two proofs that Socrates used to convince his friends be the Doctrine of Opposites and the simplex and composite theory.The first proof, the Doctrine of Opposites, is the graphic sy mbol of proof that uses a sequence of factual statements the lead from to another to arise that star thing is the same as another thing. The Doctrine of Opposites uses simple references to allow the reader to easily comprehend and follow the steps of the ratiocinative process. For example, hot comes from insensate. An object could not possibly be hot if it was neer heated up from the state of being cold. The same holds true for the change of mind of this analogy. If cold object must have at one show up been cooled down from a state of being hot. Since hot and cold be opposites, this simple statement proves that things come from there opposite. Also by use this example, Socrates is trying to imply the idea of eternal worldly concern. He is saying that cold doesnt come from thin air. It had to have come from some previous existence in some other form, which in this case would be hot. another(prenominal) example that he uses is the asleep and on the lookout analogy . One would have to allot that a person could be only one or the other. If you are not sleeping, then you are awake and if you are not awake then you have to be asleep. This example further proves that you can only be one of something or the other, its opposite, but you must be one of them.