THE FAMOUS PROPOSALS OF THE SOCRATES OF THE PHAEDO

The Socrates of the Phaedo apparently differs from the Socrates of the Apology in two conspicuous ways. He offers arguments for the immortality of the soul. He famously enunciates that philosophy is the practice of dying and of being dead (64a). In contrast, the Socrates of the Apology did not know what happens after death (29a; 42a); and the philosophizing he claimed to do consisted of challenging, elenchizing, and reproaching his fellows (29d–e, discussed in detail in chapter 2).

I'll argue that for two reasons the apparent differences are merely apparent. First, the Phaedo gives us no reason to think its Socrates is not the same agnostic about death as the character Socrates of the Apology. Second, the Phaedo gives us strong reason to think that Socrates as depicted in the Phaedo does not endorse the conception of philosophy that he articulates there.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Phaedo narrates the Phaedo, an account of Socrates' conversation that Phaedo witnessed in prison on the day of Socrates' execution. Phaedo's narration occurs at Phlius, a locus of Pythagoreanism. Phaedo's audience is Echecrates, a member of the Pythagorean community at Phlius. The main interlocutors of the conversation that Phaedo narrates are Simmias and Cebes. We learn at 61d that they have been studying with Philolaus, the renowned Pythagorean.