What we’re about
The Symposium is a community dedicated to exploring life's questions with use of various guiding texts. Since Plato, philosophy was considered a devotional activity, emerged from the mythic age, among lovers and inspired poets, casting light into their world with the aid of reason. Let us familiarize ourselves with the wisdom tradition, uncover new shapes of thought, and find the great freedom that comes from seeing the lifeworld of our connected selves.
By sharing together we create an open space for fresh insights, whether through ourselves or from others. It is through the light of our questions that we stay connected to the true, even as the depth of our ignorance is continually revealed. Yet as we cleanse the mirror, we find unique harmony between what is thought and spoken, for wisdom to usher in, and for the spirit of philosophical friendship to take hold.
Let us honor that space together.
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Plato's Phaedo: On the Soul - Part 1 (thru 89d)Kapéj Coffee, Chicago, IL
Plato's Phaedo concludes the dramatic account of Socrates' final hours, where he engages close friends in profound discussions about the mysteries of life and death before drinking the hemlock.
Alongside the Republic, the Phaedo is one of Plato's most philosophically rich dialogues from his middle period. It introduces an exploration of the Theory of Forms, presents four arguments for the soul's immortality, and offers compelling reasons to embrace the philosophical life.
One striking claim is that believing in the soul’s immortality encourages a virtuous life. In fact, our pursuit of goodness may already imply an intuitive belief in the soul’s eternal nature.
As this dialogue is more lengthy, allocate sufficient time to read in its entirety.
Part 1: since the Phaedo is lengthy, I have decided to split into two parts based on its narrative and argumentative arcs. A natural breakpoint occurs around the transition from the initial discussions and the first three arguments for the soul’s immortality to the later, more complex arguments and the final myth and death scene. This roughly aligns with the text’s progression from establishing premises to deepening the metaphysical implications. Today we discuss part 1.
Part 1: Introduction, Context, and Initial Arguments (57-89d)
Content:
• The dialogue opens with Phaedo recounting Socrates’ final day to Echecrates, setting the scene in the prison (~57a-59c).
• Socrates discusses the philosopher’s attitude toward death, arguing that true philosophers welcome it as a release from bodily constraints (~59c-66e).
• The first three arguments for the soul’s immortality are presented:- Cyclical Argument (~70c-72e): All things come from their opposites, so life comes from death, implying the soul’s pre-existence and reincarnation.
- Recollection Argument (~72e-77a): Knowledge of Forms (e.g., equality) is recollected from a pre-birth existence, proving the soul’s immortality.
- Affinity Argument (~78b-84b): The soul, being akin to the invisible and divine, is indestructible and eternal.
• The section ends with Simmias and Cebes raising objections (~84c-88c), challenging the arguments’ conclusions. - Finish reading when Socrates encourages us not to become misologists (haters of arguments)
ASSIGNED READING:
• https://www.platonicfoundation.org/media/2023/01/platos-phaedo-english-translation-by-david-horan-1.pdf
Audio https://librivox.org/phaedo-by-plato/OPTIONAL MEDIA
• Philosophy by the Book podcast http://philosophybythebook.libsyn.com/philosophy-by-the-book-episode-18-platos-phaedo- Plato's world summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc-qS1CSeLU
- Plato's Phaedo: On the Soul - Part 2 (89c to End)Kapéj Coffee, Chicago, IL
Plato's Phaedo concludes the dramatic account of Socrates' final hours, where he engages close friends in profound discussions about the mysteries of life and death before drinking the hemlock.
Alongside the Republic, the Phaedo is one of Plato's most philosophically rich dialogues from his middle period. It introduces an exploration of the Theory of Forms, presents four arguments for the soul's immortality, and offers compelling reasons to embrace the philosophical life.
One striking claim is that believing in the soul’s immortality encourages a virtuous life. In fact, our pursuit of goodness may already imply an intuitive belief in the soul’s eternal nature.
As this dialogue is more lengthy, allocate sufficient time to read it in its entirety.
Part 2: Responses, Final Argument, Myth, and Socrates’ Death (~89c-118a)
Content:
• Socrates addresses Simmias and Cebes’ objections, emphasizing the importance of fearless inquiry (~89c-91c).
• He introduces the Final Argument (~95a-107b), which uses the theory of Forms to argue that the soul, as the principle of life, cannot admit death and is thus immortal.
• The dialogue shifts to a mythological account of the afterlife (~107c-115a), describing the soul’s journey and the cosmic geography.
• The final section (~115a-118a) depicts Socrates’ last moments, his farewell to his friends, and his death by hemlock, one of the most poignant scenes in Western philosophy.
ASSIGNED READING:
• https://www.platonicfoundation.org/media/2023/01/platos-phaedo-english-translation-by-david-horan-1.pdf
Audio https://librivox.org/phaedo-by-plato/OPTIONAL MEDIA
• Philosophy by the Book podcast http://philosophybythebook.libsyn.com/philosophy-by-the-book-episode-18-platos-phaedo- Plato's world summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc-qS1CSeLU
