Study Questions for Plato’s Phaedo, part 2 (pp.123-end)

1. What is the point of Simias’ analogy of the soul to harmony and the body to a lyre and its strings? (85e-86d)

2. What is the point of Cebes’ story about the weaver and his cloaks? (87a-88b)

3. What is Socrates’ explanation of the fact that some people become misologues (haters of reason)? (89d-90d)

4. How does Socrates argue that Simmias’ view of the soul as a kind of harmony is inconsistent with the theory that learning is recollection? (91e-92e)

5. How does Socrates argue that thinking of the soul as a kind of harmony is inconsistent with several common-sense beliefs about souls? (93a-95a)

6. Why was Socrates first delighted and then disappointed with Anaxagoras’ views? (97c-99b)

7. What does Socrates think is the “real cause” of his being there (in prison) talking to his friends?

8. “It is true then about some of these things that not only the Form itself deserves its name for all time, but there is something else that is not the Form but has its character whenever it exists.” (103e) Can you explain Socrates’ meaning here? (Examples: the number three is necessarily and always odd; fire is hot and cannot become cold.)

9. How does Socrates go on to use this idea to argue for the immortality of the soul? (104e-107a)

10. What do you make of Socrates story about the layers of the earth? Do you think he really believes this myth?

11. What do you think of the way Socrates died?