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Life After Death: The Soul (Plato)

Life After Death: The Soul (Plato). Lesson 2 Mr. DeZilva January 28 th , 2014. Plato on The Soul cont’d. People’s inner, mental life was the most important thing about them. The soul was the “real” part of the person, temporarily attached to a physical body, but immortal.

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Life After Death: The Soul (Plato)

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  1. Life After Death: The Soul (Plato) Lesson 2 Mr.DeZilva January 28th, 2014.

  2. Plato on The Soul cont’d • People’s inner, mental life was the mostimportant thing about them. • The soul was the “real” part of the person,temporarily attached to a physical body, but immortal. • The Tripartite Theory of the Soul • Reason • Emotion • Appetite • The soul was a guiding force that helped the body and the mind to work together, and the only way it could do this was with a governance of the tripartite

  3. Reason Emotion Appetite

  4. Plato compared the hierarchy of society (and what it should be) to that of the soul (and what it should be) • The class in The Republic should be governed by the Philosopher Kings (Reason) • Plato also compared chariot races to that of the soul • Example provided in class • Plato believed that desires could also be divided to represent the tripartite theory of the soul • Refer to the chart

  5. Plato believed that the soul survived the death of the body, but more importantly, the soul lived before physical birth. • Thus, when we learn things, we are actually remembering them from before, as opposed to encountering them for the first time • The soul lives in the world of The Forms • Therefore, what we know on this world (in this body) are all because of what we have once experienced i.e. such is what is right and what is wrong.

  6. Symbolically speaking… • Plato uses Socrates as his main character in Phaedo • This shows that Socrates’ soul continued even after he had been executed. • Socrates’ soul still has thought and intelligence and after death, it is actually undisturbed by the body and the physical world and can reach the highest state of the Form of the Good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF2mwjI-ypQ

  7. Let’s Step Away from Plato… (for a bit) • In pairs, create a quick chart explaining what you think the differences between the body and the soul is. • Additionally, in pairs, conduct a chart where you differ the body, soul, and mind. Be prepared to present your justifications.

  8. Distinguishing the Mind/Soul & Body * How does this differ from how Plato distinguished the Soul and Body?

  9. Plato’s Phaedo • Socrates (Plato) states that the soul animates a person • Life is the essence of what a soul is, and thus, gives the person life. • In response to Cebes (other character in the dialogue), who states that the soul dissolves or disperses “like breath or smoke,” Socrates gives the argument of opposites • Every quality comes into being from its own opposite • Qualities depend on their status relative to its other • Therefore, life comes from death (and vice versa) in an endless chain of birth – death – rebirth • This proves that the soul is immortal (for Plato)

  10. The Myth of Er (from Plato’s Republic) • The story of Er who died on a battlefield, but his body did not decompose and he eventually came back to life • He told everyone that he experienced the afterlife: • Encountered souls being rewarded/punished • Morally Good  moved “upward” to be rewarded • Morally Bad  punished with pain • Souls choose a new life for themselves, but bounce back and forth between happiness & misery, reward & punishment. • Except for those who are philosophical  They seek wisdom and continuously nourish the soul, knowing that this leads to GOOD LIFE

  11. Criticisms of Plato • Plato’s view does not look at the person as a unified whole, at all  including how one may look at one’s self • The only way we can accept Plato’s views of the afterlife is to accept his world of Forms • The cycle of opposites is not supported by experience • We can think of many things not brought to life by their opposites i.e Black does not bring about white. • We understand when something is hot because we understand coolness, but this doesn’t necessitate any cycle. • Therefore, life can be the opposite of death, but doesn’t need to mean that life must be brought about by death.

  12. Dualism vs. Materialism Before we move on, we need to discuss a few new terms and why they will be important • Dualism: • Materialism: • Monism:

  13. Plato’s Dualism • Soul lives on and finds out the truth and connected to world of Forms, body is imperfect as it’s connected to the imperfect world. • Soul is unchanging and existed before we came on earth. • Soul = 3 parts; 1) reason, 2) spirit, 3) desire. Analogy of charioteer (i.e. reason) controls the two horses (i.e. spirit and desire). • Body = prison for soul, pulled into earth via desire. • Soul and body = opposites but related, like light and darkness. • Learning is remembering for the soul. • Strengths: true that we see ourselves as beyond our bodies and near-death experiences show proof of another existence. • Weaknesses: immortality makes sense only if we accept Forms. Geachwhat would living in the world of Forms be like with no body??

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