Source edition
Platonis Opera, Tomus I: Tetralogia I-II. Burnet, John, 1863-1928, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This dialogue depicts the final hours of the philosopher Socrates before his execution, focusing on the immortality of the soul and the true meaning of practicing philosophy. Set in an Athenian prison, the work is narrated by Phaedo, who recalls the conversations Socrates had with his disciples, including Simmias and Cebes, on the day of his death. Socrates argues that death is merely the separation of the soul from the body, and since true philosophers spend their lives preparing for this liberation, they should not fear death. To prove that the soul survives death, he introduces several arguments, including the theory of recollection (anamnesis) and the affinity between the soul and the immutable Forms. Even when faced with sharp counterarguments from his disciples, Socrates successfully demonstrates the soul's immortality using his philosophical method of 'the second voyage' and the theory of Forms. After concluding with a grand myth about the destiny of souls in the afterlife, Socrates calmly drinks the poison and meets his end with ultimate composure.