Phaedo: Soul and Body
Jordan Parker
Philosophy 251- 503
February 14, 2014
Phaedo: Soul & Body As one may see throughout their life, people have different points of view. Plato and I share the same views on the Argument from Affinity up until a certain point. I believe that while you are alive, even before you are alive, your soul is a part of you and that that soul will be only yours, and once your life ends here on Earth, your soul goes to Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory, meaning that I do believe the soul is both imperishable and immortal. While those are my beliefs and the first one I will explore, I will still explore other beliefs throughout my paper, as well. The second view I will explore is Socrates’ view; he says that the soul is immortal and imperishable, while the body is mortal and perishable. He says that the soul will long to return to the flesh, meaning that it will find another body to inhabit when the body that it was previously residing in is gone, and that this cycle continues on for a good while, because he believes that you can’t achieve your full greatness from just one life/body. The third and final view I will explore is Cebes’ view; he says that the soul and body are separate, and that the soul is immortal and imperishable, while the body is not, but that they don’t go to a higher place. He believes that they both eventually dissipate once we perish, until they are both no longer existent. Throughout my life, I’ve been raised Catholic. I’ve gone to church almost every Sunday since I was little, I’ve been taught certain things my whole life, and therefore, firmly believe these things. It is what I know and where I am comfortable, making it difficult (more times than not) to step out of my comfort zone and explore different beliefs. However, I hope to conquer that downfall of mine throughout this paper. One of the things I’ve been taught and firmly believe, for example, is that when we die, our souls go to Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory. I believe that
Philosophy 251- 503
February 14, 2014
Phaedo: Soul & Body As one may see throughout their life, people have different points of view. Plato and I share the same views on the Argument from Affinity up until a certain point. I believe that while you are alive, even before you are alive, your soul is a part of you and that that soul will be only yours, and once your life ends here on Earth, your soul goes to Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory, meaning that I do believe the soul is both imperishable and immortal. While those are my beliefs and the first one I will explore, I will still explore other beliefs throughout my paper, as well. The second view I will explore is Socrates’ view; he says that the soul is immortal and imperishable, while the body is mortal and perishable. He says that the soul will long to return to the flesh, meaning that it will find another body to inhabit when the body that it was previously residing in is gone, and that this cycle continues on for a good while, because he believes that you can’t achieve your full greatness from just one life/body. The third and final view I will explore is Cebes’ view; he says that the soul and body are separate, and that the soul is immortal and imperishable, while the body is not, but that they don’t go to a higher place. He believes that they both eventually dissipate once we perish, until they are both no longer existent. Throughout my life, I’ve been raised Catholic. I’ve gone to church almost every Sunday since I was little, I’ve been taught certain things my whole life, and therefore, firmly believe these things. It is what I know and where I am comfortable, making it difficult (more times than not) to step out of my comfort zone and explore different beliefs. However, I hope to conquer that downfall of mine throughout this paper. One of the things I’ve been taught and firmly believe, for example, is that when we die, our souls go to Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory. I believe that