No More Learning

mortal;
Is'it not certain, that only compounded Things,Onlynm- or such as are of a compoundible nature, admit ofp>>>>nded
i ? -l Things can * Hitherto Socrates endeavour'd to make good the Existence naturallj
of Souls before their Bodies, as being a point of the receiv'd ie ^ippa- Theology. AndforasmuchasthePrincipleisseise,'twasu^ impoflible for him to give better proof, since a Lye does not admitofdemonstration. Butnowhe'sabouttomakegcod
the future Existence and Immortality of the Soul, by solid unshaken Arguments*
H h i being
? ? n 6 Phedon: Or, A Dialogue
Headdsm-beingdissipatedatthesame ratethattheywere turally compounded? IfthereareanyuncompoundedBe-
wTiiofGod m&-> t^eJr a^one are free ftom this Accident, and nar maycon- turallyuncapableofdissipation.
troul Wo- That I think is very clear, replies Cebes.
tme. , js jt not very likely, that Things which are al-
Mange,a wavstnefame,andintheiamecondition,arenot
signofcom-atallcompounded ;andthatthosewhichareliable positions. t0perpetualchanges,andareneverthefame,are
certainly compounded >
Iam ofyourmind,Socrates,
intellectual LetusbetakeourselvestotheThingswewere B"nP>&c- speaking of but now, the Existence whereof is ne
ver contested either in Question or Answer \ are these always the same,or do they sometimes change?
Equality, Beauty , (aoodnefs , and every singular T h i n g ? , /'. e . t h e E s s e n c e i t s e l f ; d o t h e s e r e c e i v e t h e
least alteration, or are they so pure and simple that they continue always the fame, without under going the least change ?
O f necessity, replies Cebes, they must cotinue still the fame without alteration.
And all these fine things, fays Socrates, such as Men, Horses, Habits, Movables, and a great many other things of the fame nature, are they entirely opposite to the former, that they never continue in the fame condition, either with reference to them-- selves, or to others-, but are subject: to perpetual alterations. ^
They never continue in the fame condition, re plies Cebes.
N o w these are the things that are visible, touch- . able, or perceptible by some other Sense ; whereas the former, which continue still the fame, can only be reach'd by Thought , as being immaterial and
invisible.
That's true, Socrates.
It' you please, continues Socrates, I'll instance in ? two things, one visible, the other invisible ; one still
the iame, and the other betraying continual altera tions. *' With
? ? ofthe ImmortalityoftheSoul.
117
With all,my Heart,saysCebes. Let'sfeethen;arenotwe compoundedofaBo
dy and a Soul^ or is there any other Ingredient in our Composition ?
No, sure.
Which of the two kinds of things does our Body most resemble ?
AllMenownthatitismostconformabletothe visible fort. . ; c.
Andpray, mydealCebes,isourSoulvisibleor invisible ?
At least, 'tis invisible to Men.
Butwhen wespeakofvisibleorinvisiblethings,Men,'f-
wemeanwithreferencetoMen,withoutmindingv^/a/e any otherNature. Once morethenjis. theSoul*,God. visible,or not i
Tis not visible.
Then 'tisimmaterialand invisible?
Yes. AndbyConsequencetheSoulismoreconforma
ble than the Body to the invisible kind of things$ and the Body suits better with the visible ?
There's an absolute necessity for that.
WhentheSoulmakesuseoftheBodyinconsi
dering any thing, by seeing,hearing, or any otherThecondi- Sense, (that being the sole function of the Body to J'"*. ? /**?
consider things by the Senses) should not w e then e? *rf'? . 'J*f
fay that the Body draws the Soul upon mutable nutur.
things. Inthisconditionitstrays,frets,staggers,
andisgiddy likeaMan indrink,byreasonofits^Zilsl*
beingengag'dinmatter. Whereas whenitpursuesengagd.
things by it self, without calling in the Body, it betakesitselftowhat isPure, Immortal, Immuta-^Tt'esof
hiejand,as beingofthefameNature,dwellscon-tTMe$? */'? *
stantly uponitwhile itisMasterofitself Then>>*? >><><< itsErrorsareatanend,and itisalwaysthefame,diyon'd
asbeing united to>>what never changes:And this-? "V^of- Passion of the JSquI is what we call Wisdom oxtheB? dy% Prudence. unitedcon
stantly to Hh 3 That'sGod-
He addsto
? ? *11
Phedon : Or, J Dialogue
ruSoul
That's admirably well spoke, Socrates, and a very great Truth.
After all,then, which sort of things does the Soul seem to resemble most ?
To my mind, Socrates,there's no Man so stupid and stiff, as not to be oblig'd by your Method of Arguing, to acknowledge that the Soul bears a grea ter resemblance and conformity to the immuta ble Being, than to that which is always upon the change. ^ :
AndasfortheBody?
Itbearsagreater resemblancetotheother. Let'stryyetanotherway. During theconjuncti-
beingthe on of Body and Soul,Nature orders the one to imageof 0^eyancjfeaSlave,andtheothertocommandand
ToclmmZiholdtheEmpire. WhichofthesetwoCharaaers andthebo- ismost suitable to theDivine Being-, and which to dytoobey, that that is Mortal ? Are not you sensible,that the
Divine is only capable of commanding and ruling ; and'whatisMortal isonlyworthyofobedienceand slavery ? . : .
Sure enough.
Which of these two then agrees best with the Soul ?
'Tis evident, Socrates, that our Soul resembles what is Divine, and our Body what is Mortal.
You see then, my dear Cebes,the necessary result of all,is, that our Soul bears a strict:resemblance to what is ]3ivjne5 Immortal, Intellectual, Simple, In-
dissolvable ; and is always the fame and always like
it:And thatourBodydoesperfectlyresemblewhat
1S human' mortal>> sensible, compounded, dissolva- ? jt J-t^alwayschanging,andneverlikeitself. Can
any thing be alkdg'd, to destroy that Consequence, or to make out the contrary ?
No, sure,Socrates.
Does not it then suit with the Body to be quickly dissolv'd, and with the Soul to be always indissolva-' ble, or something very near it?
n,enature oftheSoul.
s? tod
That's a standing Truth,
Ac-
? ? of the Immortality of the Soul. 119
(a)Ac&rdinglyyouseeeveryday,when aMan dies, his visible Body, that continues expos'd to our view, and which we call the Corps ; that alone admits of dissolution, alteration and dissipation; this, I fay, does not immediately undergo any of these Accidents, but continues a pretty while in its entire form, or in its flower, if I may so speak, .
(b)especiallyinthisSeason. Bodiesimbalm'dafter
the manner of thole in Egypt, remain entire for an 7'l'atu t0 infinityofYears:And even inthosethatcorrupt,^^'*^t
there are always some Parts, such as the Bones,? wl^s. Nerves, or the like,that continue, in a manner im
mortal. Isnotthistrue?
Very true.
N o w as for the Soul, which is an invisible Being, that goes to a Place like it self, marvellous, pure, and invisible, in the infernal World ; and returns to aGodfullofGoodnessandWisdom;whichIhope will be the fate of m y Soul in a minute, if it please God ; Shall a Soul of this nature, and created with
_(a) Socratesisabouttoshew theridiculousnessof theOpi nionoftheSouls dissipationafter death. What ! shallthe Body, a compounded Being, subsist a pretty while after death ; and the Soul, a simple Being, be immediately dissi-, pated ? Aster what has been said, the ridiculousness is very plain.
(4) This Passage is enough, to stun the Criticks,w h o make agreatbustletofind outtheprecise timeofSucre'sdeathj andasterstraininghardindemonstrating theAttickCalender, and computing its Months, assure us he died in the Month offaly. Here,totheirgreatmisfortune,Socrateshimselffays
he died in the Season in which Corps keep best. The Month of July is not entitled to that Character, especially in Greece. SothattheymustmakeanewComputation. Buthowcame thisPassagetoescapetheirview ? The reasonisplain. Most of'emdonotreadtheOriginals. Whentheylookforany thing, they content themselves with running over a Transla tion. Now thetranslationofthisPassageisveryfaulty. Nei therMarstliutFicinus,nordeSerresunderstoodit. Theytook s>W for the good Condition and entireness of the Parts ; whereasitsignifiestheSeason. Uponwhichmistaketheone renders \v tqiauth <>>&. , cum quadam mederatione j and the other corfore perbelie affetto. I?
Hh4 all
? ? i2. o
Phedon: Or, A Dialogue
all these Advantages, be dissipated and " nihilated, assoonasitpartsfrom theBody,asmostMen be lieve>Nosuchthing,my dearSimmiasandmy dearCebes. I'lltellyouwhatwillrathercometo pals, and what we ought to believe steddily. If the Soul retain its Purity without any mixture of filth from the Body, as having entertain'd no volun tary Correspondence with it; but on the contrary, having always avoided it, and recollected it self within it self in continual Meditations ; that is, in studying the true Philosophy, and effectually learn ing to die -, for Philosophy is a preparation to
death : I fay, if the Soul depart in this Tinstateoftheit- Condition,itrepairstoaBeinglikeit tfrtejsouh ofthose who self a Being that>s Divine, Immortal,
fervd(jodinsincerityall ,' c 11 Fm-n ? i? i ? >> theirlifetime. ancl soil of Wisdom -,inwhich Itesl-
joys an inexpressible Felicity, as being theinitiationintoMy freedfromitsErrors,itsIgnorance,its
sieriej,wasonlyasha- Fears,it'sAmoursthattyrannisedover dow of what was to be jf afidajj the other g ^ j-g^ing to compleatedintheother ,' xi i s? r-T ? ?
World.
human Nature;and,as tis? laidor
those who have been initiated in holy Mysteries, it truly passes a whole course of Eternity with the Gods. Ought not this to be the Matter of our Belief?
Sure enough, Socrates.
n,efuture ButiftheSouldepartfullofLlncleannessand
#*"9f'p-Impurity,as having been allalong mingledwith sureous. ^ gocjy^aiwaySemploy'dinitsService,always
possess'd by the love of it, wheedled and charm'd
by itsPleasures and Lusts-, insomuch that it believ'd '{here was nothing real or true beyond what is Cor
poreal,what maybeseen,touch'd,drankoreaten, or what is' the Object of Carnal Plea- bnfure Souh belieye sore;thatithated,dreadedandavoided
SK'fa*"f? /*Tr Wh3ttheEyeS0itheB? dyC0UWn0t I'onai"*Wat" W~ descry,and allthatisintelligibleand
-*//intelligiblethings CaslTMl7,beTOTJ* ^ ^ W ? - 'Dp arccnhobscuritytothe y? uthink,1lay,thataSoulinthiscorj- Evs ofthejody. dition can depart pure and simple from
theBody? ' ? No
? ? 'osthe Immortality of the Soul. I$j
No sure,Socrates,that'simpossible.
On thecontrary,itdepartsstain'dwithCorporeal-^Smifd- Pollution, which was rendred natural to itby itsl"tedan*
continual Commerce and toointimateUnionwith^uTfilth theBody,atatimewhenitwasitsconstantCom- * panion, and was still employ'd in serving and gra
tifying it
Most certainly.
This Pollution, m y dear Cebes, is a gross, heavy,
earthy and visible Mass, and the Soul loaded with
fiich a weight, is dragg'd into that visible Place, not
only by the Weight, but by its own dreading the
Light and the invisible Place; and, as we commonly impureSfi.
fay, it wanders in the (a) Church-yards rourid the "tsfre.
Tombs, wheredark Phantomsand Apparitionsaref**f! & often seen * such as these Souls that did not depart sTulnres-
the Body in purity ofSimplicity, but polluted with that earthy and visible Matter that makes them degenerate into a visible Form.
? That's very likely, Socrates.
Yes,, without doubt, Cebes; and 'tis also likely
that 'tis'not the good but the bad Souls that are
forc'd to wander in those Places of Impurity $ where theysuffer fortheir former illLife,and continue^? ? rrB, to wander, till, through the love they have to this^>>/ran corporeal Mass which always follows 'em, they en- Pythago- gage again in a new Body, and in all probabilityras'*/,Tr
plunge themselves into the fame Manners and Pas ^kminl fions,asweretheOccupationoftheirfirstLife, graftSense.
How doyoufay,Socrates?
I fay, Cebes, that, for Instance, those w h o m a d e their Belly their God, and lov'd nothing but Inso lence' and Impurity^ without any Shame, and with
v. (a) Socrates speaks here of the impure Spirits that dwelt among Tombs in Church-yards, such as are mention'd in the the Gospel, Matth. 8. 28. 'Mark J. 2. luhe 8. z6. which wan- der'dNightandDayroundtheTembsandupontheMoun
tains. ,. He alledges they were corrupt and polluted Souls, which bore the Pollution they had contracted by Sin, in plun gingthemselvestoodeepinMatter. -'- , '
;. i \
out
? ? 12*
Phedon : Or, A Dialogue
out any Reserve ; those (b) enter into the Bodies of AflesorsuchlikeCreatures. Do notyouthinkthis very probable >
Yes, sure, Socrates. ,
And those Souls which lov'd only Injustice, Ty ranny and Rapine, are employ'd to animate the Bodies of Wolves, Hawks and Faulcons. Where else should Souls of that stamp go ?
No where else,Socrates.
Thecaseofalltherestismuchthefame. They go to animate the Bodies of Beasts of different Spe cies, according as they resemble their first courses.
According to these Principles, it cannot be other
wise.
n,ePateof ThehappiestofalltheseMen, whose Soulsare thosewho ? nt t0 tjje moft agreeable Place, are those who
raVaJl' nave always made a profession of Popular and Civil jn. fibyHa- Vertues, which are call'dTemperance and Justice ^ tit,withoutto which they have brought themselves only by Ha-
If'Zfffi'bitandExercise,without any assistancefromPhilo- fbp " sophy and the Mind.
Howcantheybesohappythen?
'Tis probable, that after their death, their Souls arejoin'd to the Bodies of politick and meek Ani- . ' mals,suchasBees,Wasps,andAnts. ;orelsereturn tohuman Bodies, and become temperate and wise Men. But as forapproaching to the Nature of God, thatis not atallallow'd to those who did not
? . > . . - :? >
i _\* (l>)IntheLifeofTlato,we tooknoticeofthisOpinionof
Souls passing into other Bodies, whether of Men or Beasts; and endeavour'd to discover its Source ; I shall only add,that by Socrata'sway ofexpressinghimself, one would believethat this imaginary Transmigration of Souls was grounded, upon thoseimpureSpiritsthatenter'dintoMenandBeasts. We are not to doubt, but that in those Times of Obscurity, un
dertherealEmpireoftheDevil,therewereagreatmany People polTcss'd in that manner j and that was a sufficient GroundforformingtheIdeaoftheTransmigration'ofSouls, thatbeingmostapttofrighten'em. Theyfansiedthatthese impure Spirits took to themselves Bodies in the Sepulchers where they dwelt.
live
? ? of the Immortality of the Soul. 12. 3
live Philosophically, and whose Souls did not de partwithalltheirPurity. ThatgreatPrivilegeis reserv'dfortheLoversoftrueWisdom. And'tis upon the consideration ofthis,my dear Simmias andmy dearCebes,thatthetruePhi
losophersrenouncetheDesiresofthe ^finecharacteroftrue Body,andkeepthemselvesupfromits ? hM? $TMtTheyfiat
Lusts: They are notapprehensiveof
theruineoftheirFamiliesorOrPover- ty,astheVulgarare,andthosewho
TM Z D^/n^'Z
>>? >>>><<themsehesandall thingsbesides.
are wedded to their Riches : They fear
neither Ignominy nor Reproach , as those do who courtonlyDignitiesandHonours. Inaword,they renounce all things,and even themselves.
It would not be suitable for them to do other wise, replies Cebes.
No, sure, continues Socrates : In like manner ail
those who value their Souls, and do not live foiTj*y*sein-
theBody,departfromallsuchLusts,andfollowag? TM
different Course from those insensible Creatures that where they
donotknowwheretheygo. Theyarepersuadedgo.
that they ought nor to do any thing contrary to Phi
losophy, or harbour any thing that destroys its Pu- The, Turifi-
rifications, and retards their Liberty $ and according- vhUofotr). ly resign themselves to its Conduct, and follow it whithersoever itleads'em.
'Howdoyou lay,Socrates?
I'llexplainittoyou. The Philosophersfinding7l>efineof
their Soul tied and chain'd to the Body, and by that the Bond . .
"lea"s. obliS'd t0 emPl? y the Body in tbe Pursuit/^Ei ofObjects whichitcannot followalone^Jothatconsistsin it still stoats in an Abyss of Ignorance ; are very >>*own De fensible that the force of this Bond lies in its ow'n^":
D e s i r e s , i n s o m u c h t h a t t h e P r i s o n e r i t s e l f h e l p s t o / . _ ,. ? , ,? l o c k u p t h e C h a i n s : T h e y a r e s e n s i b l e t h a t P h i l o - >> ' t - * ? ? \
sophycomingtoseizeupontheSoulinthisCondi-? j(0IjuTi tion, gently instructs and comforts it, and endea- <<'#c/*v f*i vourstodisengageit,bygivingittoknow thattheJwTM " Eye of the Body isfull of Illusion and Deceit, asheadedby wellasallitsotherSenses,by advertisingitnottheBody.
? ? |<<4
Phedon : Or, J Dialogue
v
to use the Body further than Necessity requites $ and advising it to recollect and shut up it self within it self* to receive no Deposition but its
own, after ithasexamin'd within itselftheintrin-
theZdi/y
sense's,is f<<fje-
continue fully persuaded that whatever is tried by
all its other Senses, being different from the for- merdiscovery,iscertainlyfalse. Nowwhateveris
tried by the corporeal Senses, is visible and sensible. And what it views by itself without the ministry of the Body, is invisible and intelligible. So that the Soul of,a true Philosopher, being convinc'd that it
fck Nature of every thing, and stripp'd it of the
WlMtcrer
*! miw! bX'Covering that conceals itfromour Eyes$and to
^ *h shouldnotopposeitsownLiberty,disclaims,asfar claim*-all as is possible, the Pleasures, Lusts, Fears, and Sor-
tbe -pas sions r o w s o f t h e B o d y : F o r it k n o w s t h a t w h e n o n e h a s <ftheBody,enjoy'd many Pleasures, or given way to extream
'
j^ a andmojt
Grief or Timorousness, or given himself to his Der s i r e s -, h e n o t o n l y i s a f f l i c t e d b y t h e s e n s i b l e E v i l s known to all the World, such as the loss of Health orEstate,but isdoom'dtothelastandgreatestof Evils;an Evilthatissomuchthemoredangerous
andterrible,that itisnotobvioustoourSenses. What Evilisthat,Socrates?
Tis this ; that the Scul being forc'd to rejoyceor
be afflicted upon any occasion, is persuaded that . r J ' #>> . rj . ->
terribleas- what cauies its Pleasure or Grief, is a real and true fiuiionof thing,tho1atthelametimeitisnot:Andsuchis aSmigi- thenatureofallsensibleandvisibleThingsthatare
TMp? affi? caPablel0occasionJoyorGrief. oftheBody. That'scertain,Scerates.
Are not these Passions then the chief Instruments particularly that imprison and mew up the Soul within theBody ? .
How's that Socrates ?
E-vcryVaf- EveryPleasure,everymelancholyThought,being son has a arm'd with a strong and keen Nail, nails the Soul
fastens the t0 the Body with such force, that it becomes mate- Souitothe rialandcorporeal,andfansiestherearenorealand vodq. true Objects but such as the Body accounts sp.
". '? ? ? ? For
? ? of she Immortality of the Soul 115
For as it entertains the fame Opinions, and pursues the fame Pleasures with the Body, so it is oblig'd to the fame Actions and Habits : For which reason it cannot descend in Purity to the lower World, but is daub'd all over with the pollution of the Body itleft, and quickly reenters another Body, where ittakes Root as if. ithad been sown, and puts a Period to all Commerce with the Pure, Simple, and
Divine Essence.
That's very certain, Socrates.
These are the Motives that oblige the true Phi
losophers to m a k e it their business to acquire T e m perance and Fortitude, and not such Motives as theVulgarthinkof. Arenotyouofmy Opinion, Cebes ?
Yes, sure.
Alltrue Philosopherswill stillbe ofthat mind.
Their Soul will never entertain such>>a Thought, as
if Philosophy should disengage it, to the end that
when 'cisfreed, it should follow its Pleasures, and
giveway toitsFearsandSorrows;thatitshouldput
on its Chains again , and always warn: to begin
again, like Penelope's Web. On the contrary, it^ B>>jmefi
continues in a perfect tranquility and freedom from %{^^ttt Passion, and always follows Reason for its Guide, dJring hit'
without departing from its Measures ; it incessantly w'W<< life- contemplates what is true, divine, immutable, and time-
above Opinion, being nourifh'd by this pure Truth j it is convinc'd that it ought to follow the fame c o u r s e o f L i f e w h i l e i t i s u n i t e d t o t h e B o d y ? , a n d
hopes that after Death, being surrendef'd to that Immortal BeingasitsSource,'twillbefreedfrom alltheAfflictionsofthehumanNature. Aftersuch a Life, and upon such Principles, my dear Simmias and Cebes, what should the Soul be afraid of > Shall itfear,thatupon itsdeparturefrom theBody,the
Windswilldissipateit,andrunawaywithitjand / that annihilation will be its fate ?
Socrates, having thus spoke, he stop'd for a pret ty while,seeming to be altogether intent upon what he
? ? I%6 Phedon : Of, A Dialogue
hehadsaid. MostofuswereinthefameCondi tion j and Cebes and Simmias had a short Conference together. AtlastSocratesperceivingtheirConfe rence, ask'd 'em what they were speaking of^ do
Socrates you. think,fayshe,thatmy Argumentsarelame? desires'emjfo^ incieedthereisroomleftforagreatmany
tmons01"Do"bts and Objections,ifany willtakethePains thatbi), toretail'emout. _Ifyouarespeakingofanything Arguments else, I have nothing to say. But tho' you have
to'S/"'\e ionsirm'd.
noDoubts,pray donotstandtotellme freelyif ^Qn think QJ. -any hetter Demonstration, and make
me a Companion in your Enquiry, ifyou think I can assist you to compass your End.
I'lltellyou,faysSimmias,thenakedTruth. It isaprettywhilesince CebesandIthoughtofibme D o u b t s ? , a n d b e i n g d e s i r o u s t o h a v e ' e m r e s o l v ' d ,
pusli'dononeanothertopropose'emtoyou. But w e were both afraid to importune you, and propose disagreeable Questions in the unseasonable hour of
your presentMisfortune.
O! my dear Simmias, replies Socrates smiling'
certainlyI"should findgreatdifficultyinpersuading otherMenthatIfindnomisfortune inmypresent C i r c u m s t a n c e s -, s i n c e I c a n n o t g e t y o u t o b e l i e v e i t .
<<;? ,. ,. ,<<? >><. ? ? i You thinkthatupon thescoreofFore- Socratesisangrywith . . . jrv:? T 3a? i
hhFriends,firreckoning knowledgeandDiviningIam infinitely his present Condition an inferiour to the Swans. W h e n they unfortunate one. perceive approaching Death, they sing
fJerZltd^al TMrernerrilythanbefore,(a)because hereckon'dnoMisfortune oftheJoytheyhaveingoingtothe
inhisDeath,thanthisof Godtheyserve. ButMen^throughthe rallying>>fo>>thevulgar fear0fDeath, reproachthe Swans, in andTythagorean^eLgion. Iayingthat they lament their Death,
7i<<Fowl and tune their Grief in sorrowful Notes. They sinpmt o/forger co make this Reflection, that no Fowl sings
(a)As iftheirFowls wereadmittedto theMansionsof theBlessed. SocratesridiculesthatOpinion:Weshallsee afterwards, that they admitted Beasts to the Land of the Just; ofwhichtheyhadaveryconfus'dIdea. Butthat'stoano ther purpose.
when
? ? ofthe Immortality of the Saul. 127
when it is hungry, or cold, or fad ; nay, not the Nightingale, the Swallow, or the Lapwing, whose MusicktheyfayisatrueLamentation,and theef fectofGrief. Burafterall,theseFowlsdonotall singout of Grief; and far less theSwans, which by reason of their belonging to Apollo are Diviners,and sing more joyfully on the day of their death than before, as foreseeing the Good that awaits them in theotherWorld. Andasforme,IthinkIserve
Apollo as well as they, I a m consecrated to that Godaswellasthey,Ihavereceiv'dfromourcom mon Master the Art of Divining, as well as they, andIam aslittleconcern'dformakingmyExitas they are. So that you may freely propose what Doubts you please, and put Questions to me, as long as the eleven Magistrates suffer me to be here.
Yousaywell, Socrates^repliesSimmias;sinceit
is so, I'll propose m y Doubts first, and then Cebes
shall give in his. I agree with you, that it is im
possible, or at least very difficult, to k n o w the truth
inthisLife;andthatitisthepropertyofalazy
and a dull Head, not to weigh exactly what he
fays, or to supersede the Examination before he has
made all his Efforts, and be oblig'd to give over by unsurmountableDifficulties. Foroneoftwothings? fallh"r
mustbedone:We musteitherlearntheTruthfromH $ U ?
others,orfinditoutourselves. IfbothwaysMl/7,0>>idpick u s , a m i d s t a l l h u m a n e R e a s o n s , w e m u t t p i t c h u p - <>>><? t h e b e s t s
on the strongest and most forcible, and trust to that""^ *>>AE astoaShip,while wepassthroughthisstormy'ZdJhinm Sea,and endeavour to avoid its Tempests and/d/e,-? tUs Shelves5tillwe find out onemorefirmand sure,>wjiSea. such as (a) Promise or Revelation, upon which we
may
(a)ThisisaveryremarkablePassage. HerethePhiloso phers acknowledge that we should endeavour to make out theImmortalityoftheSoulbyourownReason;andthatas this Reason isvery weai and narrow, so it will always be aslaulted by Doubts and Uncertainty ; and that nothing but a Divine Promjse or Revelation can disperse the Clouds of
Ignorance
? ? I28 , Phedon : Or, A Via
7l>ePromisemay happily accomplish the Voyage of this Life striaib'"asina ^elthat^earsn0danger. Ifazttthere- fJirsIT f? renotbeasham'dtoputQuestionstoyou,now
Danger, thatyouallowme;andshallavoidtheReproachI might one day cast upon my self, of not having told you my Thoughts upon this occasion. When Isurveywhatyouspoketome andtoCebes,Imust
ownI donotthinkyourProofssufficient.
,Perhapsyouhaver. eason,my dearSimmias;but v wheredoestheitinsufficiencyappear>
Simmias'^ *nx^s'? >tnattne^ame thingsmightbe aliened firstobjetii-oftheHarmonyofaHarp. Foronemayreasona- <<>>j*Wt/;ebly fay that the Harmony of a Harp, well string'd
fatofiLr anc* w tun'd, ^ invisible, immaterial, excellent m m y o f t h e a n ^ d i v i n e ? , a n d t h a t t h e I n s t r u m e n t a n d i t s S t r i n g s
fame date are the Body, the compounded earthy and mortal A>>dsta>>d-Matter. AndiftheInstrumentwerecutinpieces,
'faBd' or *ts Strings broken, might not one with equal 3' reason affirm, that this Harmony remains after, the breaking of the Harp, and has no end ? For,, since
itisevident, thattheHarpremainsaftertheStrings are broken, or that the Strings, which are likewise mortal, continue after the Harp is broken or dis mounted ; it must needs be impossible, might one fay, that this immortal and divine Harmony should perish before that which is mortal and earthy ; nay, it is necessary that this Harmony should continue to be without the least damage, when the Body of theHarpanditsStringsaregonetonothing. For, without doubt Socrates, you are sensible that we holdtheSoultobesomethingthatresemblesa Har
mony;andthatasourBodyisaBeingcomposed
IgnoranceandInfidelity. NowtheChristianReligionisthe only thing that fnrniihes us, not only with Divine Promise* >>nd Revelations, but likewise with the accomplishment of 'em by the Renirrection of Christ, who became the first-fruits tfthemthat/left,1Cor. 1j. 10. Andthusaccordingtothe Philosophers themselves, the Church is the only Vessel that fearsnoDanger,inwhichwemayhappilyaccomplish"the Voyage of Shis Life,
Of
? ? bs the Immortality of the Soul. u p
"hotandcold,dryandrnoist*soourSoulisno-
ing else but the Harmony resulting from the just . oportionofthese mix'd Qualities. Now,ifourJ^ *r'e
>ulisonlyafortofHarmony*'tisevident,tbat^,^'* hen our Body is over-stretch'd or unbended by resulting iseales, or any other Disorder, of necessity our Soul from ^
ith all its Divinity must come to an end, as well*"? gfg"- . the otherHarmonieswhichconsistinSounds,or/^ oL'!
e theeffectofIustruments;and thattheRemainstitiu. ? every Body continue for a considerable time, till
ey be burnt or moulder'd away. This you fee, vrates, might be alledg'd in opposition to your rgumeBts, that ifthe Soul be only a mixture of e Qualities of our Body, it perishes first in what e call Death.
Then Socrateslook'duponusall,oneafterano- er, as he did often, and began to smile. Simmias eaks with reason, fays he, His Question is well it,and if any of you has a greater dexterity in an gering his Objections than I have, why do you >tdo it? For he seems thoroughly to understand >th m y Arguments and the Exceptions they are lia- e to. But before we answer him, 'tis proper to :ar what Cebes has to object, that white he speaks e may have time to think upon what we are to, y ? , a n d a f t e r w e h a v e h e a r d ' e m b o t h , t h a t w e m a y
eld if their Reasons are uniform and valid, and if herwise, may stand by our Principles to the out- ost. Tell us then, Cebes, what itis that hinders >utoagreewithwhat Ihavelaiddown. _,
I'll tellyou, fays Cebesh your Demonstration^J f ^ emstobelameandimperfect? ,itisfaulty upontho'lbeSoui efameHeadthatwe tooknoticeofbefore. That>>*o*<<<<<>>>? << e Soul has a Being before its entrance into the i^'>>sthaa
>dy, is admirably well saidh and, Ithink, suffici-ZhS'a. itlymade out; butIcanneverbepersuaded thatmmatefi-
haslikewiseanExistenceafterDeath. Atthew<</Bo rne time, I cannot subscribe to Simmias's Allega- *"> %' on, that the Soul is neither stronger nor moredu-^/,,-^, ;blethantheBody* fortome itappears tobein-1><<bemir-
t i finitely * * *?
? ? jjo
- Phedon: Or, A Dialogue
finitely more excellent. But why then, (says the Objection) do you refuse to believe -it? Since you seewithyourEyes,thatwhena Man isdead,his weakestPartremainsstill;isitnottherefore abso lutely necessary that the more durable Part should last yet longer ? Pray, take notice if I answer this Objectionright. Fortoletyouintomymeaning,I mult use Resemblance or Comparison as well as
Simmias. . Your Allegation,tomy mind,isjustthe fame, as if upon the death of an old Taylor, one should say this Taylor isnot dead ; he has a Being still somewhere or other ; and for Proof of that, here'sthe Suit of Clothes he wore, which he made forhimself-,sothatheisstillinbeing. Ifanyone should not be convinces by this Proof, he would not failtoaskhim, whether theMan or the Clothes he wears is most durable ? To which of necessity
he must answer, that the Man is: And upon thi3 foot, your Philosopher would pretend to demon strate, that since the less durable possession of the Taylor is still in being, by a stronger Consequence hehimselfissotoo. Now,mydearSimmias^the P a r a l l e l i s n o t j u s t -, p r a y h e a r w h a t I h a v e t o a n swer to it.
5Tis evident at firstview, that the Objection isri diculous. FortheTaylor,havingus'dseveralSuits of Clothes, died after them, -and only before the lastSuit,whichhehadnottime towear$andtho' thisSuitfurviv'dtheMan,ifImay sospeak,yet we cannot say that the Man is weaker or less du rable than the Suit of Clothes. This Simile is nearenough,forastheMan istohisSuitofClothes, soistheSoultotheBody;andwhoeverappliesto theSoulandBodywhatissaidoftheManandhis SuitofClothes,willspeaktothepurpose. For he'll make the Soul more durable, and the Body a
weaker Being, and less capable to hold out for a long time. He'll add, that every Soul wears seve ralBodies,especiallyifitlivesseveralYears. For the Body wastes while the Man isyet alive, and
the
? ? ofthetmmmatity oftheSoul. 131
theSoulstillformstoitselfanewhabitofBody
out of the former that decays ; but when the lastJ*eW<<: comes todieithas thenitslastHabit on, anddiesa">mates*
beforeitsconsumption;andwhen theSoulis? ^"^_ dead,theBody quicklybetraystheweaknessofits^ Nature, since itcorruptsand mouldersaway very speedily. Sothatwecannotputsuchconfidencein
your Demonstration as to hold it for a standing Truth, that our Souls continues in being after Death. Forsupposing'tweregrantedthatourSoul has not only a Being antecedent to our Birth, but that,foranythingweknow,theSoulsofsomecon tinue in being after Death $ and that 'tis very pos sible they may return again to the World, and be born again, so to speak, several times, and die at last-, for the Strength and Advantage of the Soul beyond the Body consists in this, that itcan undergo several Births, and wear several Bodies one after ano ther, as a Man does Suits ofClothes : Supposing, I fay, that all this were granted, still it cannot be deniedbutthatinallthose repeatedBirthsitdecays and wastes,andatlastcomestoanendinoneof
theDeaths. However,'tisimpossibleforanyMan to discern in which of the Deaths 'tis totally funk :
Since Things stand thus, whoever does not fear
D e a t h , m u s t b e s e n f l e l s ? , u n l e s s h e c a n d e m o n s t r a t e r i m f e w i n ,
that the Soul is altogether Immortal and Incorrupti- iMtheSoul ble. For otherwise every dying Man must of tiers''"">? ?
cessitybe afraidforhisSoul, forfearlestthe Body -^'fST it is a quitting be its last Body, and lest it perish u;o>>. without any hopes of return.
Having heard 'em propose these Objections we Phedonr<<- were very much troubled, as we afterwards told^" th* sem? ,thatat atimewhenwe werejustconvinc'dJjj^J?
by Socrates's Arguments, they should come to amuse drefts him-
us with their Objections, and throw us into a fit of/ty" << ? - Unbelief and Jealousie, not only of all that had been checr4t^'
said to us by Socrates, but likewise of what he might say for the futurej for w e would always be apt to Believe that fither we' were hot proper Judges of
I i i the'
? ? ip
Phedon : Or, A Dialogue
the Points in debate, or else that his Propositions were in themselves incredible.
Ecbec. Indeed Pbedon, Ican easilypardon your troubleuponthataccount. ForImy self,whileI heard you relate the Matter, was a saying to m y
self,whatshallwe believehereafter,sinceSocrates's Arguments, which seem'd so valid and convincing, are become doubtful and uncertain > In effect, that ObjectionofSimmias\ that theSoulisonlyaHar
mony, moves me wonderfully, and always did so. Itawakesinme thememoryofmybeingformerly
of the fame Opinion. So that my belief is un- hing'd? ,andIwant new Proofstoconvinceme that
theSouldoesnotdiewiththeBody. Wherefore,
prithe tell me Pbedon, in the Name ofGod, how
Socrates came off; whether he seem'd to be asmuch
n e t t l e d a s y o u -, o r , i f h e m a i n t a i n s h i s O p i n i o n w i t h h i s w o n t e d T e m p e r ? , a n d i n f i n e , w h e t h e r h i s
Demonstration gave you full satisfaction, orseem'd chargeable with Imperfections. Pray tell me the whole Story , without omitting the minutest Cir cumstance.
Phed. I protest to you, Ecbecrates, I admii'd So cratesallmy life-time,anduponthisoccasionad- mir'dhimmorethanever. .