Φίλοι,
Attached is the reading to be completed for Session 3: The Soul.
After establishing that madness can be a special gift given by the gods, Socrates offers us his second speech on the nature of love. Key to this speech is the idea of the soul: an immortal and immaterial part of our ontology. This week, we will dive into one of Plato’s proofs for the immortality of the soul and consider the iconic image of the rational charioteer with his spirited and passionate horses.
Required:
Plato, The Phaedrus, 244a-257e (with special attention to 245c-247c and 253d-254e).
Optional:
Plato, The Republic, 580d-589c.
Plato, The Phaedo, 72e-78b.
Charles, Griswold. “The Palinode” in Self Knowledge in Plato’s Phaedrus, 78-87. (PDF)
In The Phaedrus 244a-257e, Socrates launches into a cosmic explanation of the soul. Here, he details how the soul existed prior to being put into the physical body and is given a heavenly tour of things like Justice, Beauty, Piety, etc. in a chariot among the gods (recall our discussion of The Theory of Recollection, or the ToR, in Session 2). Socrates also develops a notion of a tripartite soul, or a a soul with three parts: A rational element (the charioteer), an appetite element (the dark horse), and a spirited element (the light horse). Lots to think about! Focus your attention on 245c-247c and 253d-254e, specifically. The required reading for this week is shorter for a reason.
*optional* In The Republic 580d-589c, we find that the image of the tripartite soul is not limited to the The Phaedrus alone. While we should always exercise caution dipping into other dialogues to elucidate our understanding of The Phaedrus, it can be novel to see how this schema has appeared in other works. PDF of the Republic below.
*optional* The notion of the immortal soul is also not exclusive to The Phaedrus. In The Phaedo, we are given several arguments for the immortal soul. 72e-78b contains one of Plato's most famous accounts of dualism. PDF of The Phaedo below.
*optional* Finally, I have attached a secondary source by Griswold that interprets Plato's more explicit analytical switch in this section of The Phaedrus. Of particular help might be the proof, or formalized logical expression, of the argument for the immortality of the soul on pg 82. PDF below.
Happy reading! Reach out with questions, comments, etc., per usual.
-S
