Plato's Phaedo is one of his great dialogues, capturing Socrates' final moments before his execution. The dialogue explores profound discussions on death, dying, and the immortality of the soul. Socrates presents arguments for the soul's existence beyond physical death, engaging in philosophical debates with his disciples on the nature of the afterlife, the theory of forms, and the pursuit of true knowledge. The Phaedo not only provides insight into Socratic thought but also serves as a poignant reflection on the meaning of life and the afterlife.
Translated by F.J. Church with an Introduction by Fulton H. Anderson
About the Author
Plato is a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science, exerting influence on virtually every figure in philosophy after him. His book The Republic is known as the first comprehensive work on political philosophy. Plato also contributed foundationally to ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology.