Does Socrates believe in an afterlife?

Category: hobbies and interests paranormal phenomena
4.6/5 (447 Views . 12 Votes)
Socrates' view is that there is either an afterlife, or that death is an eternal sleep. His reasoning for this view is that death will free him from judgment associated with his present life, and allow him to face judgment by the true judges outside of the present world.



People also ask, what does Socrates believe happens after death?

Socrates replied that it was because of the immortality of the soul that death was no evil. The purpose of philosophy was to free the soul by guiding it to the eternal truths, and so when death came, it was a liberation. The body, he asserted, was a messy pit of passions and rude cravings.

Additionally, does Socrates believe in reincarnation? Reincarnation is a central tenet of Indian religions, namely Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Hinduism, although there are Hindu groups that do not believe in reincarnation but believe in an afterlife. A belief in rebirth/metempsychosis was held by Greek historic figures, such as Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato.

Subsequently, one may also ask, did Socrates believe in an afterlife?

One of the main themes in the Phaedo is the idea that the soul is immortal. In the dialogue, Socrates discusses the nature of the afterlife on his last day before being executed by drinking hemlock.

What does Socrates say about the soul?

As a supposed student of Socrates, Plato agreed that the soul is immortal and separate from the body. However, he upped the ante a bit. He believed the soul was eternal. According to Plato, the soul doesn't come into existence with the body; it exists prior to being joined to the body.

36 Related Question Answers Found

Does Socrates know what death is?

Socrates calls fear of death “the pretense of wisdom, and not real wisdom, being the appearance of knowing the unknown,” adding that “no one knows whether death, which they in their fear apprehends to be the greatest evil, may not be the greatest good.”

What was Socrates willing to die for?

Socrates was condemned to death in 399 BC after he was found guilty of impiety and of corrupting the youth of Athens. When this sentence was decided upon, Socrates failed to act in his own interests and present a credible alternative to the death penalty.

Did Plato believe in the afterlife?

In ancient Western philosophy, Plato affirmed both a pre-natal life of the soul and the soul's continued life after the death of the body.

How is philosophy preparation for death?

Philosophy itself is, in fact, a kind of “training for dying” (67e), a purification of the philosopher's soul from its bodily attachment. Thus, Socrates concludes, it would be unreasonable for a philosopher to fear death, since upon dying he is most likely to obtain the wisdom which he has been seeking his whole life.

What did Socrates say before he died?

Socrates speaks his last words to Crito; there are several different translations: Crito, we owe a rooster to Asclepius. Please, don't forget to pay the debt. Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius, Pay it and do not neglect it.

What does phaedo mean?

noun. a philosophical dialogue (4th century b.c.) by Plato, purporting to describe the death of Socrates, dealing with the immortality of the soul, and setting forth the theory of Ideas.

What is the theory of recollection?

The Platonic doctrine of recollection or anamnesis, is the idea that we are born possessing all knowledge and our realization of that knowledge is contingent on our discovery of it. Whether the doctrine should be taken literally or not is a subject of debate. The soul is trapped in the body.

Does Socrates believe in God?

Although he never outright rejected the standard Athenian view of religion, Socrates' beliefs were nonconformist. He often referred to God rather than the gods, and reported being guided by an inner divine voice.

What is life after death philosophy?

The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is the belief that the essential part of an individual's identity or the stream of consciousness continues after the death of the physical body.

Did Aristotle believe in a soul?

Plato said that even after death, the soul exists and is able to think. He believed that as bodies die, the soul is continually reborn (metempsychosis) in subsequent bodies. However, Aristotle believed that only one part of the soul was immortal namely the intellect (logos).

What is Plato in philosophy?

Synopsis. Born circa 428 B.C.E., ancient Greek philosopher Plato was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle. His writings explored justice, beauty and equality, and also contained discussions in aesthetics, political philosophy, theology, cosmology, epistemology and the philosophy of language.

How many pages is phaedo?

Product information
Publisher Arc Manor
Book length 120
ISBN-10 1604503106
ISBN-13 978-1604503104
Best Sellers Rank 1708505

Who is cebes?

Cebes of Thebes (Greek: Κέβης Θηβα?ος, gen.: Κέβητος; c. 430 – 350 BCE) was an Ancient Greek philosopher from Thebes remembered as a disciple of Socrates.

What is the Socratic method of teaching?

The Socratic method (also known as method of Elenchus, elenctic method, or Socratic debate), is a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions.

When was the Republic written?

Republic (Plato)
Title page of the oldest manuscript: Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Gr. 1807 (late 9th century)
Author Plato
Language Greek
Subject Political philosophy
Published c. 375 BC

How does Karma impact your next life?

Even an Enlightened One is not exempt from the effects of past karma. On a larger scale, karma determines where a person will be reborn and their status in their next life. Good karma can result in being born in one of the heavenly realms. Bad karma can cause rebirth as an animal, or torment in a hell realm.