Classics/Philosophy 2701 First Assignment Passage: Phaedo 72e-77a

Classics/Philosophy 2701 First Assignment
Passage: Phaedo 72e-77a
Prepared for Brad Levett

Prepared by Phoebe Su
ID 200466993
October 7, 2005
Note: Primary text used is “The Collected Dialogues

of Plato”, Princeton University Press, edited by Hamilton and Cairns.
Philosophy 2701: Passage Summary Phoebe Su
Phaedo 72e-77a: Passage Summary
Passage 72e–77a of Phaedo features Socrates propounding the immortality of the soul via
the theory of recollection, while engaged in Socratic dialogue with Simmias in audience
with a number of his friends during the final hours before his death. The argument hinges
upon the assertion that learning of knowledge as recollection of that which was learned or
acquired before one’s life implies the impossibility of the nonexistence of one’s soul
before the existence of the body. Moreover, Socrates states that the immortal soul,
exhibiting some sort of prepossessed foundational, ordered and/or transcendent
knowledge1, is directly implied by the theory of recollection (claim that true knowledge is
an acknowledgement, or recollection, of pre-acquired latent truths). Socrates proceeds to
demonstrate the truth of the theory of recollection through Simmias’ own confessions.
Simmias begins by affording that some natural faculty in people seems to recognize the
correct answer, without prior grasp of the subject. Socrates first elucidates to Simmias the
concept of recollection. On the obvious level, recollection is the sense being reminded of
something so long faded in memory that it has been forgotten, through being conscious of
something else and noticing their perfect or partial similarity. This is exemplified by
recollecting someone through personal belongings/objects, another person, or a visual
representation. By this analogy, Socrates notices that one receives the notion of equality
from real life examples, such as equal stones or sticks, but that one’s conceived notion of
1
The possession and definition of soul, and some fundamental unity (the order, harmony, the quality of
transcendence) are complex difficult notions studied throughout Plato, particularly his later dialogues.
1
absolute equality is never found through the senses beyond only a poor imitation.
Therefore he and Simmias conclude that abstracts, or “all absolute standards” (75c), such
as absolute equality are in fact knowledge previously acquired since all sensible equals
are noticed to strive after absolute reality but never perfectly. Since sensory perception
begins at birth, this knowledge of absolute equality must have been obtained before birth.
The same argument can be applied using all absolute standards such as “absolute beauty,
goodness, uprightness and holiness” (75d).
Hence, knowledge is either possessed by birth and kept, or invariably forgotten after
acquisition. In the former case, to know implies retention. In the latter case, forgetting
implies loss of knowledge, and having lost this at birth, recollection implies the recovery
of knowledge by applying the senses upon imperfect sensible object.
Subsequently, Socrates entreats Simmias to choose between the alternative of an inborn
knowledge of absolute standards which are retained throughout life, and that of learning
as an act of recollecting knowledge which had been acquired before birth but lost at the
moment of birth. When Simmias expresses indecision, Socrates walks him through
confession of the latter case by way concrete example: that only one who has knowledge
about something can thoroughly explain this thing; that since no one present could
explain the topics here discussed, therefore they have recollected that which was once
learned; and since this knowledge could not have been acquired after birth, therefore the
soul must have had existence before birth. Also, acquisition of knowledge cannot occur
2
at birth and hence must occur before, since birth is the moment in which this knowledge
is lost.
In concluding, Socrates reiterates that the logical necessities of the immortal soul and that
of absolute standards, such as absolute goodness and beauty, are one and the same. That
is, prior existence of the soul is evident in one’s “grade of reality” (77a).

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Classics/Philosophy 2701 First Assignment

Passage: Phaedo 72e-77a

Prepared for Brad Levett

Note: Primary text used is “The Collected Dialogues

Phaedo 72e-77a: Passage Summary

exhibiting some sort of prepossessed foundational, ordered and/or transcendent

an acknowledgement, or recollection, of pre-acquired latent truths). Socrates proceeds to

recollecting someone through personal belongings/objects, another person, or a visual

goodness, uprightness and holiness” (75d).

of knowledge by applying the senses upon imperfect sensible object.

Subsequently, Socrates entreats Simmias to choose between the alternative of an inborn

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