The Soul’s Retreat from Death: Re-Reading Socrates’ Final Argument in Plato’s Phaedo

Matthew D. Walker (Yale-NUS College)

NESAP's March meeting will be devoted to a discussion of Matthew Walker's  "The Soul’s Retreat from Death: Re-Reading Socrates’ Final Argument in Plato’s Phaedo."

Here is a short abstract:  According to a long tradition of criticism, Socrates’ final argument in the Phaedo establishes the soul’s immortality, at most, in only a trivial sense. On this view, the argument fails in its aim to establish the soul’s unqualified indestructibility. This talk sketches a new interpretation of the final argument. On the one hand, Socrates need not be aiming to establish the soul’s unqualified indestructibility; on the other hand, the psychic immortality that he more plausibly establishes need not be merely trivial.  

At the meeting, Matt will give a short introduction to his paper and then we will turn to discussion.  The discussion will presuppose that participants have read Matt's paper in advance of the session. The paper and Zoom link will be distributed to participants via email closer to the meeting.  To allow yourself time to complete the readings, please register for the meeting at least 48 hours in advance.  

You can register for this and other events on our website at https://www.newenglandsymposiumonancientphilosophy.com/.