Phaedrus — Plato
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to consider anything in company with the body she is obviously deceived. Yes, that is true. Then must not existence be revealed to her in thought, if at all ? Yes. And thought is best when the mind is gathered into herself and none of these things trouble her — neither sounds nor sights nor pain nor any pleasure, — when she has as little as possible to do with the body, and has no bodily sense or feeling, but is aspiring after being ?
That is true. And in this the philosopher dishonors the body; his soul runs away from the body and desires to be alone and by herself? That is true. Well, but there is another thing, Simmias : Is there or is there not an absolute justice ? Assuredly there is. And an absolute beauty and absolute good ? Of course. But did you ever behold any of them with your eyes ? • Certainly not.
Or did you ever reach them with any other bodily sense? (and I speak not of these alope, but of absolute greatness, and health, and strength, and of the essence or true nature of everything).
Has the reality of them ever been perceived by you through the bodily organs ? or rather, is not the nearest approach to the knowledge of their several natures made by him who so orders his intellectual vision as to have the most exact conception of the essence of that which he considers? Certainly.
And he attains to the knowledge of them in their highest purity who goes to each of them with the mind alone, not allowing when in the act of thought the intrusion or ^^ introduction of sight or any other sense in the company of reason, but with the very light of the mind in her clearness penetrates into the very light of truth in each ; he has got rid, as far as he can, of eyes and ears and of the whole body, which he conceives of only as a disturbing element, hindering the soul from the acquisition of knowledge when in p. 428company with her — is not this the sort of man who, if ever man did, is likely to attain the knowledge of existence ? There is admirable truth in that, Socrates, replied Simmias.
And when they consider all this, must not true philosophers make a reflection, of which they will speak to one another in such words as these : We have found, they will say, a path of speculation which seems to bring us and the argument to the conclusion, that while we are in the body, and while the soul is mingled with this mass of evil, our desire will not be satisfied, and our desire is of the truth.
For the body is a source of endless trouble to us by reason of the mere requirement of food ; and also is liable to diseases which overtake and impede us in the search after truth : and by filling us so full of loves, and lusts, and fears, and fancies, and idols, and every sort of folly, prevents our ever having, as people say, so much as a thought.
For whence come wars, and fightings, and factions ? whence but from the body and the lusts of the body ? For wars are occasioned by the love of money, and money has to be acquired for the sake and in the service of the body ; and in consequence of all these things the time which ought to be given to philosophy is lost.
Moreover, if there is time and an inclination toward philosophy, yet the body introduces a turmoil and con-, fusion and fear into the course of speculation, and hinders us from seeing the truth ; and all experience shows that if we would have pure knowledge of anything we must be quit of the body, and the soul in herself must behold all things in themselves : then I suppose that we shall attain that which we desire, and of which we say that we are lovers, and that is wisdom ; not while we live, but after death, as the argument shows ; for if while in company with the body, the soul cannot have pure knowledge, one of two things seems to follow— either knowledge is not to be attained at all, or, if at J. all, after death.
For then, and not till then, the soul ' will be in herself alone and without the body. In this present life, I reckon that we make the nearest approach to knowledge when we have the least possible concern or interest in the body, and are not saturated with the bodily nature, but remain pure until the hour when God himself is pleased to release us. And then the foolishness of the body will be cleared away and we shall be pure and hold convene
PH^DO 429 witii other pure souls, and know of ourselves the clear light everywhere ; and this is surely the light of truth. For no impure thing is allowed to approach the pure. These are the sort of words, Simmias, which the true lovers of wisdom cannot help saying to one another, and thinking. You will agree with me in that ? Certainly, Socrates.
But if this is true, O my friend, then there is great hope that, going whither I go, I shall there be satisfied with that which has been the chief concern of you and me in our past lives. And now that the hour of departure is appointed to me, this is the hope with which I depart, and not I only, but every man who believes that he has his mind purified. Certainly, replied Simmias.
And what is purification but the separation of the soul from the body, as I was saying before ; the habit of the soul gathering and collecting herself into herself, out of all the courses of the body; the dwelling in her own place alone, as in another life, so also in this, as far as she can ; the release of the soul from the chains of the body ? Very true, he said.
And what is that which is termed death, but this very separation and release of the soul from the body? To be sure, he said. And the true philosophers, and they only, study and are eager to release the soul. Is not the separation and release of the soul from the body their especial study? That is true.
And as I was saying at first, there would be a ridiculous contradiction in men studying to live as nearly as they can in a state of death, and yet repining when death comes. Certainly. Then Simmias, as the true philosophers are ever studying death, to them, of all men, death is the least terrible.
Look at the matter in this way : how inconsistent of them to have been always enemies of the body, and wanting to have the soul alone, and when this is granted to them, to be trembling and repining; instead of rejoicing at their departing to .^ that place where, when they arrive, they hope to gain that which in life they loved (and this was wisdom), and at the same time to be rid of the company of their enemy.
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