The Death of Socrates (Plato’s Phaedo)

In this session, we’ll listen to the final portion of Plato’s Phaedo (about 50 minutes), where Socrates drinks the hemlock and speaks his final words. This passage lays out the Platonic view of death, the immortality of the soul, and why the true philosopher should welcome death rather than fear it. It is one of the most moving scenes in all of ancient philosophy.

Here's the text and audio if you’d like to check them out beforehand:
Text: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1flLxFc0CYm9eyTQqv34eKnojXuSm_XW_go2R8D0SA9g/edit?usp=sharing
Audio: Parts 7 - 8 https://librivox.org/phaedo-by-plato/

After listening, we’ll open a shared discussion around questions such as:

• Why is Socrates fearless in the face of death?
• What does it mean to “practice dying” as part of philosophy?
• How does this scene express the Platonic understanding of the soul?

No prior experience with Plato is required — just curiosity, goodwill, and a willingness to dialogue together.