Phaedo Summary

In Phaedo, philosophy enthusiast, Socrates, promotes the idea of one’s soul pre-existing

outside of the body and before its imprisonment within the body. To support his theory, he

provides reasonable evidence and examples demonstrating the should immortality through final

different arguments; the argument of opposites, the theory of recollection, the argument of

affinity(scattering), and the final argument, given as a response to Cebes' objection. However,

Socrates does not suggest the weight of the arguments are equal to one another. The most

important arguments I believe to have been stressed in Phaedo and will be the focus of this

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summary is The Theory of Recollection and the argument of affinity because both arguments are

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premises to the Theory of Forms. Even so, the Theory of Recollection can demonstrate that an

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individual’s soul existed before birth, while the argument of affinity implies the immortality of
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the soul, the continued existence of the soul after death.
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During Socrates final moments before his death he introduces the topic Theory of
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Recollection, which suggest all things learned is pre-established knowledge based on

recollection. Socrates initially points out that we remember or call to mind one event, person or
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place by being made aware of something else which was present at the same time or reflects
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similar attributes. He explains this theory using the example of connecting personal belongings
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such as clothing to those of the person who wears them. The person may not be wearing the
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clothing now, but you know it belongs to them because at one point and time you remember

them wearing it. From this point, Socrates discusses the Theory of Forms, in which Simmias
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agreed, the notion of Equality itself exist.

We know the Form of Equality, because it comes to mind when we compare objects

either side by side or apart and consider them equal. Socrates states we become aware of the

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 equal sticks and stones through our physical senses such as touching and seeing. Socrates also

infers that we could not have come to learn of Equality through our senses because we have had

the idea of equality for as long as we have been alive, so any knowledge of equality we perceive

had to be obtained before our birth. This would mean that similar logic could be applied to all

other forms. It would also mean that knowledge of these forms lost at birth will be recollected

later on through our life as we relearn them again. This is why Socrates claims that all learning is

recollection. 72e-78b

Cebes had agreed with Socrates logic except for the continued existence of a soul after

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death. Even though Socrates provided reasons for a soul’s continuance, Cebes still had concerns,

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mainly with the notion that if the body is a prison for the soul, then when the body decays, what

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prevents it from evaporating so to speak. Cebes created his own analogy to make sense of it all
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proposing if a man lasts longer than his cloak, then it is to be assumed that if the cloak is still
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there, then so is the man. Plainly, a soul may use up many bodies before it dies. In response,
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Socrates points out that forms are continuous and unchanging. Furthermore, Socrates draws the

conclusion that Forms are invisible and can only be seized by the mind, while material items are
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sensed by the body. According to Socrates, causation cannot be clarified in terms of physical
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sensation. For example, something is beautiful because its pure essence is the Form of Beauty.

However, some may try to explain an objects beauty in terms of its color or shape.
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Socrates also stated that different souls experience different fortunes after death. Socrates

advocates that the soul that has removed itself from earthly desires, devoting itself completely to
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the life philosophy, will be able to leave the world of inconstancy and decay behind. It will live

instead amongst other divine beings, in a heavenly kingdom of immaterial, invisible, intelligent

souls. However, the souls who remain attached to earthly desires, will be weighed down by the

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 material objects and cravings that taint their souls, remaining on earth as ghosts until their souls

occupy another body (78b-84b)

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