PhilosophyNotes1011 (PDF)

Liam Nakagawa
Philosophy — Ms. Kudera
Notes on Selections From Plato’s Phaedo
Doctrines Concerning Body and Soul (80c-84b)
-The corpse can be preserved and some parts like bones are “practically indestructible”
-The soul cannot disappear upon death, never had a “voluntary connection” to the body


-Philosophy = Practice of death, soul gathering within itself

-Soul is invisible, departs to invisible world of rational divinity
-Soul is still “engrossed in the corporeal” lusts and bodily desires of humanity


-These vices can prevent a soul from ascending, condemned to haunt for eternity



-These bad souls absolve into animals like wolves and hawks, reflective of the type



of life they lived



-Only a philosopher who loves learning, who is pure, may “reach the gods”

-Practitioners of philosophy are aware that there souls are separate entities from their
body.


-Soul perceives reality through “prison bars”



-Philosophy guides the soul to avoid the deceit of senses, to trust only itself



-Pleasure an pain occur when should is most “enthralled by the body”





-Sensations that “rivet” the should to the body







-But philosophers are “temperate and brave”







-Only follow reason, and not for the promise of future pleasure

-After death, a philosopher’s soul will be “scattered and blown away by the winds and be
nowhere and nothing”
Excerpt from the Phaedrus
-Soul is immortal, never ceases to move


-Only that which moves itself can be immortal

-Soul is “unbegotten,” and therefore must be indestructible


-Else all heaven would collapse, and “creation would collapse and stand still”

-Body moved from without: Soulless — within: Soulful
-Plato digresses, acknowledging the “more than mortal discourse” surrounding souls
-Describes the image of two winged horses and a charioteer
-Human drives a noble and an ignoble horse (immortal = would be both noble)



-Imperfect soul has an imperfect, mortal frame moved by soul



-Immortal = purely soul, self-moving

-Wing: “corporeal element which is most akin to the divine,” natural upwards tendency,
towards the gods


-Wing is nourished, grows by beauty, wisdom, goodness, etc.





-When feeds on evil, the wing falls away

-Cites greek mythology as the divine arbiter of souls
-The steeds of mortals drag the soul away from heaven
-Gods are able to rejoice in the higher realities for eternity


-Mortal soul longs to perceive upper reality, is prevented by the steeds





-Most souls are discouraged, fall down to “feed on opinion”





-The source of this longing is that reason is able to thrive in higher reality



-When soul falls from sky, she first goes into the body of man, not other animals





-First class: Philosopher, artist, musical and loving people





-Second: King, warrior chief





-Third: politician, economist, trader





-Fourth: athlete, physician





-Fifth: prophet or hierophant (mythicist)





-Sixth: poet, imitative artists





-Seventh: artisan, husbandman (farmer)





-Eighth: sophist, demagogue





-Ninth: tyrant



-These states are “probationary” can be improved

-Plato says that 10000 years must pass before the soul can return to heaven


-Wings cannot grow faster than that.



-Only the true philosopher can acquire wings in the 3rd of 1000 year cycles



-Distinguished from “ordinary good man” who gains wings in 3000 years

-After death, some souls receive judgement, are ascribed to hell or heaven


-Every 1000 years, the soul can adopt a new mortal form





-e.g. beast -> man, or man -> beast







-Must see truth to become man

-Only the mind of philosopher has wings, becomes truly perfect, loses earthly interests


-“Vulgar deem him mad, and rebuke him; they do not see that he is inspired”

-Those who are corrupted by the mortal world are unable to perceive beauty


-Beauty takes a godlike from, revitalizes the wings of the mind





-This process is painful, but once wings start to grow, the mind is refreshed





-This is a state of true love



-Plato cites Homer to support his divine definition of love



-Mortal love is a reflection of divine, godly love



-True philosopher will strive towards divine love over mortal love

-Return to the image of the 2 horses and charioteer


-One healthy, noble horse and one unhealthy, ignoble horse



-Emotion = noble, Appetite = ignoble
-True love is rational love of inner beauty