Review 2022:
This text is something that I think I should read every year for the rest of my life. I recently watch the film Amour by Michael Haneke and it made me think that the woman who slowly dies throughout the film should have probably killed herself instead of the slow death she suffered. I have a feeling that this is the same lesson as that which Socrates already knew. Because the soul is immortal there is no reason to fear death, and lets be frank, Socrates was an old man... of course it's hard on the people who love us for us to choose our death, but would you rather the opposite happen, where the one you love suffers slowly throughout the end of their days... beautiful text. I will read it every year for the rest of my life.

Review August 2016:
The death speech of Socrates. Take it for what it is. A privilege to witness the text.

n  There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse.n

This was probably my favorite out of the five dialogues. The final dialogue gives us another peak into the afterlife from a different angle than what Plato depicts in the n  Republicn. Aristophanes depicts him as a New Atheist, but here in Phaedo, Socrates points out the fact that natural philosophy doesn't adequately deal with the causes.

Imagine not being able to distinguish the real cause from that without which the cause would not be able to act as a cause. (99 b)

Socrates reminds us that there's no need to fear death, because we truly do not know what's in store for us on the other side. But he reduces a fear of death to a fear of losing access to bodily pleasures like food, sex, money that we find in the material world. But a fear of death doesn't just stem from this, but also of losing close friends and family. If we are reincarnated, would we see them again?

So long Socrates, let's pray he wasn't reborn as a blobfish or something.

I have to try and read to completion one book by Plato. That will give real meaning to my reading life.

Well, I completed this book today and now will try another one, perhaps Crito.

There are some great arguments in this book and I believe a couple of famous phrases too, but I don't want to spoil things for others.

Celebrity Death Match Special: Plato's Phaedo versus Philip José Farmer's To Your Scattered Bodies Go

[Riverworld. Night. Numerous people are gathered around a campfire, including RICHARD BURTON, ALICE PLEASANCE LIDDELL, PLATO, BENJAMIN JOWETT, DANTE, DAVID HUME and FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE. BURTON is addressing the others.]

BURTON: ... And for tonight's entertainment, as a unique favor, Plato has consented to perform for us Phaedo, his justly celebrated account of the death of Socrates. Professor Jowett, with some little assistance from Alice and myself, has undertaken the task of helping the great philosopher render his immortal words into English. Over to you, Plato!

PLATO: Thank you, my friends. I will begin at once. Echecrates: Were you yourself, Phaedo, in the prison with Socrates on the day when he drank the poison? Phaedo: Yes, Echecrates, I was...

[His audience listen spellbound as PLATO tells the story. Finally he concludes]

PLATO: ... he said - they were his last words - he said: Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius; will you remember to pay the debt? The debt shall be paid, said Crito; is there anything else? There was no answer to this question; but in a minute or two a movement was heard, and the attendants uncovered him; his eyes were set, and Crito closed his eyes and mouth. Such was the end, Echecrates, of our friend; concerning whom I may truly say, that of all the men of his time whom I have known, he was the wisest and justest and best.

[A moment of silence. Many people are weeping unashamedly. Then rapturous applause.]

PLATO: Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are all too kind.

A MAN IN THE CROWD: Hey, wait a minute.

BURTON: Who are you?

THE MAN: [his hood is over his face, muffling his voice] We'll talk about that later. What I want to know is, can we rely on this tale?

BURTON: My dear sir, are you presuming to doubt the word of Plato?

THE MAN: I am. He says he wasn't even there to witness the death of his great teacher and friend "because he was sick". Is that correct?

PLATO: I, uh, yes...

THE MAN: And what was wrong with you?

PLATO: Never been certain... really wasn't feeling at all well that day... perhaps some bad shellfish...

THE MAN: A likely story.

BURTON: This is an outrage. How dare you address the greatest philosopher of antiquity - indeed, of all time - in these terms? Once again, who are you?

THE MAN: [throwing back his hood] If you want to know, I'm Socrates. And the piece you have just heard is nothing but a concoction of embellishments, half-truths and outright lies. Young Plato, you should be ashamed of yourself.

[General consternation]

BURTON: Plato, is this true? Do you recognize him?

PLATO: I, uh, I'm not sure... been a long time...

THE MAN: Honestly, Plato. Well, let me explain the absurd nature of my former student's claims. First of all, this disquisition on the nature of identity and comparison. Does that sound like something I would say? In your dialogue Euthydemus, you correctly report me as making fun of the sophists who enjoy this kind of argument.

NIETZSCHE: Eet is true. I haf always vundered...

THE MAN: Thank you Fred. Nice to see I have some supporters here. Second, your long demonstration of the immortality of the soul. I still can't believe you had the nerve to do this. I always say I know nothing and doubt everything. Suddenly, I'm telling people I have proof - proof, I ask you! of these things which obviously no one can ever be certain about.

HUME: Well said, sir!

THE MAN: Thank you David. Third, that description of the underworld, complete with all major geographical features and a ridiculously detailed account of which people will end up where. Words fail me. Is it likely that I would be spouting this nonsense?

DANTE: Prego, signore. I like-a thees part very much, I make it da basis of great--

THE MAN: Sure, sure, sure. Dante, your epic is fantastic. Best thing since Homer. But the point is, it's poetry. I'm a philosopher. If anyone here doesn't understand the difference, they should leave right now.

DANTE: Ah, scusi. Scusi.

THE MAN: It's okay Dante. This is between me and Plato, right? So finally, my enigmatic last words. Why do you suppose I asked Crito to sacrifice a cock to Asclepius?

NIETZCHE: On zees too, I haf much vundered. Perhaps, you are zanking zee god for curing you of zee sickness of life--

THE MAN: It's much simpler. I just thanked the jailer for getting the dose right and not cocking it up. But as usual, Plato couldn't resist the urge to improve my words.

PLATO: I--

THE MAN: Yes?

PLATO: You are Socrates. I recognize you now. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I-- I meant well, you understand.

SOCRATES: I know you did, Plato. I shouldn't have given you such a hard time. Come here.

[They embrace]

SOCRATES: But don't do it again, okay?

PLATO: I won't. I promise. And I am truly sorry.

SOCRATES: Apology accepted. [He digs PLATO in the ribs] "Apology", geddit?

[They both laugh uproariously]

SOCRATES: Now let's find a tavern. We've got two thousand years of drinking to catch up on.

Match point: Philip José Farmer

Quien diría que la frase " Critón , debemos un gallo" podría ser tan wholesome

F in the chat for Sokrates

"É nisto então, primeiramente, que se manifesta o filósofo: em separar o mais possível (...) a alma do corpo?
(...)
E, certamente, reflecte de um modo mais perfeito, quando não é perturbada pelo ouvido, ou pela vista, pela dor ou pelo prazer, mas se isola o mais que se pode em si mesma, sem se importar com o corpo, nem, quanto dela depende, comunicar com ele ou tocá-lo; e assim vai em demanda daquilo que existe realmente."

3,5

Me ha puesto triste este diálogo ya que estamos ante la prisión de Sócrates y ya son sus últimas horas de vida, por lo tanto hablará el filósofo sobre la muerte, reencarnación, el alma, Hades y otros diversos temas con el mismo derivado, algunos pasajes me parecieron aburridos no porque lo sean, sino porque no tengo conocimientos alguno sobre ello.

Sócrates: *La cosa con menos sentido del mundo*

Simmias: No, it's true, it's true

Se la morte è il distacco dell’anima dal corpo, e questo distacco rappresenta, per ogni uomo (e a maggior ragione per il filosofo), il “risveglio alla vera vita”, ne consegue che la morte (o il vivere-per-la-morte) è, paradossalmente, la vita stessa, o meglio, la vita autentica. Per questo Socrate non ha paura di morire, ma anzi vuole (seppur senza intenzione) morire, perché la sua anima, pura e leggera, non può far altro che tendere verso il suo “luogo naturale”, ossia verso quel dio che è giudice e padre di tutte le cose.

"Gente, non riesco a spiegare a Critone che Socrate è questo qui, sono io che sto qui a ragionare, e do istruzioni particolareggiate. Lui crede che sono quell’altro, quello che vedrà fra poco, cadavere, e mi domanda che funerale deve farmi. E il ragionamento che ripeto, cioè che appena bevo l’antidoto [pharmakon] io qui in mezzo a voi non resto più, sparisco, sono in viaggio per il paese di felicità, lui pensa che io dica per scherzo, così, per consolare voi, e anche me”.

Great. The Ancients called this dialogue De Anima, on the Soul.

What I like about Plato’s dialogues is how accessible they are. Much of Western thought is based on Plato's writings, so you can’t get much more academic than that, but at the same time, Plato isn’t hard. You don’t have to have special skills or been formally trained in philosophy to enjoy and understand Plato. Pheado is one of Plato’s later dialogues so it, probably, represents Plato’s own viewpoints rather than Socrates’. As for the philosophy itself, I like the proofs for the pre-existence of the soul and even the existence the soul after death. Some ideas Plato seems to take for granted and just doesn’t offer any explanation, like re-incarnation. I enjoyed Pheado. I think that Plato's dialogues is a great place to start for someone who has an interest in the origins of western philosophy.

It is all about the classics this year: http://lindasclassicschallenge.blogsp...