Plato's Pod: Phaedo – Infinite Potential (part 2, 77(d)-98(b))

Is the soul a harmony, variably good and bad, that plays only once when the body lives and then no more? Or is the soul like a cloak, that wears out after many uses and suffers a measure of destruction each time it enters a new body? These propositions made by Simmias and Cebes to Socrates, on the day of his execution, bring forth a considered response that we will examine in our second session on Plato’s Phaedo, covering from 77(d) to 98(b).

Having invoked the logic of The Equal in the soul’s capacity to measure the same and different, Socrates proceeds to inquire into the nature of each half of The Equal. First he distinguishes the noncomposite soul and its opposite, the composite of all that is physical. Then he proceeds to place the physical composites in the constantly changing part of the universe that is visible to our eyes and accessible to our other four bodily senses. The soul he places opposite the visible, in the invisible realm where there are no differences and that is, as Socrates stated in The Meno, the limit of all physical solids. It is in this state, Socrates says, that the soul can act as the composer of harmony, and the immortal cause of the body’s generation.

These arguments and others are open to our own dialogue. Is there a finite number of souls, and are souls “information”, as participants asked in our first session on The Phaedo? Are we inclined to believe Socrates, that the soul not only exists before birth but equally survives death? Is death the separation of soul and body, and is all knowledge recollection of what the soul knew before? We can consider the particular logic from 96(e) to 97(e) in philosophical, mathematical, and geometric perspectives, as we seek an answer to the question “What is the extent of the unlimited one, in its own limit?”

It is a question that we can revisit in our subsequent episode when we conclude The Phaedo with Socrates’ soul departing to meet its equals in the invisible realm of the noncomposite, and as we prepare to move to Plato’s Parmenides.

Our discussion can go anywhere the group wishes, for which some suggested themes will be offered. Wherever our discussion leads, Plato, without a doubt, would have imagined no better way than in dialogue for knowledge – the account of the reasons why – to multiply its connections. We welcome the sharing of all perspectives, whether you are new to or experienced with Plato. Recordings of our previous episodes are at https://open.spotify.com/show/53Zvjr7avMylQgNqfqBxlk?si=ksA1Hp7TQn6BwghRqI26GA&dl_branch=1 and other popular podcast platforms.

This episode will be recorded in voice only without video, using first name as it appears on your screen profile, and podcast for those who would like to share in our knowledge. After the recording ends, participants are welcome to remain for a half hour of “Plato’s Café”, a casual discussion of your choice of themes from any of Plato’s works, or philosophy in general.

***

APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK BEFORE THE MEETUP: Please visit https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqvPwkIofv4UaFldrPpbva3VSXI?e=3Y7PjP for questions and themes that we might address, as well as those explored in our previous meetups. We will also post the reading list for our next meeting which will generally be scheduled every two weeks on Sunday at 10 a.m. eastern. During our dialogue, participants are encouraged to relate their comments to Plato's text, referring to the Stephanus number for the passage so others can follow in the reading. Participants are also encouraged to read the text aloud for the meaning of the written word to resonate.

There are many translations of Plato's works available, of varying quality. Your public library will have multiple editions. A free translation of The Phaedo is available at https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1658, although lacking in explanatory notes and passage reference numbers that would be useful for our discussion. Participants in our entire series might be interested in purchasing Plato: Complete Works (https://www.amazon.ca/Plato-Complete-Works/dp/0872203492/).

The Meetup will take place on Zoom. Please RSVP to access the Zoom link at your Meetup account.