The question of immortality

The question of immortality is an ancient one and is key in philosophy and religion. Man lives a span of years and then dies, and probably from the very beginning of the human race men and women have wondered if there is something beyond death. Philosophers have attempted to prove that immortality does or does not exist, with varying results. Plato addresses the issue with a series of "proofs" argued by Phaedo and Socrates in the Phaedo. Plato in this dialogue addresses the question of immortality directly and attempts to prove that immortality is a truth that has to be accepted by reasoning man. Plato's spokesman, Socrates, believes in the eternal life of the soul and guides the discussion toward indicating several reasons for this belief. Many of the reasons given are highly speculative in nature and involve a world-view including Plato's cosmogony and his concept of pre-existing Forms.

The question of the immortality of the soul is tied up with the definition of just what death is. Death is defined by Socrates as being the separation of the body and the soul, and the arguments Socrates offers as proofs all begin with this separation. Death, or the freeing of the soul from the body, is seen by Socrates as being the ultimate philosophical quest for truth. The body is a distraction to the soul, impairing the soul's pursuit of the truth with physical needs for food, earthly desires, and the lure of the senses. The senses deceive, and for the soul to approach the tr

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. The soul is deathless, and being deathless is also indestructible. This entire argument hinges on the statement that the soul does not admit death. It seems, though, that this is what Socrates is trying to prove in the first place, and yet it is here assumed as a given in order to comprehend the meaning of deathlessness as a quality and the fact that this proves the soul to be indestructible. He does this because the soul is an idea, a Form, that must then be projected into this world and conform to the logical rules these men are now discussing. He finds that because of this logical argument, he has shown that the soul is deathless and indestructible and will really dwell in the underworld. Socrates offers other arguments for the immortality of the soul, such as the fact that the soul is also capable of certain kinds of knowledge of the absolute and the eternal, and because the soul is in touch with the eternal, it must itself be eternal. Another holds that the soul is a simple thing, meaning it is not made up of other elements as is the body. The soul is thus seen as indissoluble and imperishable, and being so, it must also be immortal. Work Cited Plato. Five Dialogues. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett, 1981.

Category: Philosophy - T