Deuteros Plous, the Immortality of the Soul and the Ontological Argument for the Existence of God
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Rafael Ferber
Abstract
The paper deals with the deuteros plous, literally “the second voyage”, proverbially “the next best way”, discussed in Plato’s Phaedo, the key passage being Phd. 99e4-100a3. The author first (I) provides a detailed non-standard interpretation of the passage in question, and then (II) outlines the philosophical problem that the passage implies, and, finally (III) tries to apply this philosophical problem to the final proof of immortality and to draw an analogy with the ontological argument for the existence of God, as proposed by Descartes in his 5th Meditation. The main points are as follows: (a) The “flight into the logoi” can have two different interpretations, a standard one and a non-standard one. The issue is whether at 99e-100a Socrates means that both the student of erga and the student of the logoi consider images (‘the standard interpretation’), or that the student of the logoi does not consider images, but only the coherence of the logoi (‘the non-standard interpretation’). The author prefers the non-standard interpretation. (b) The non-standard one implies the problem of the unproved hypothesis, a problem analogous to the problem of the elenchus. (c) There is a structural analogy between Descartes’ ontological argument for the existence of God in his 5th Meditation and the final proof for the immortality of the soul in the Phaedo.
Abstract
The paper deals with the deuteros plous, literally “the second voyage”, proverbially “the next best way”, discussed in Plato’s Phaedo, the key passage being Phd. 99e4-100a3. The author first (I) provides a detailed non-standard interpretation of the passage in question, and then (II) outlines the philosophical problem that the passage implies, and, finally (III) tries to apply this philosophical problem to the final proof of immortality and to draw an analogy with the ontological argument for the existence of God, as proposed by Descartes in his 5th Meditation. The main points are as follows: (a) The “flight into the logoi” can have two different interpretations, a standard one and a non-standard one. The issue is whether at 99e-100a Socrates means that both the student of erga and the student of the logoi consider images (‘the standard interpretation’), or that the student of the logoi does not consider images, but only the coherence of the logoi (‘the non-standard interpretation’). The author prefers the non-standard interpretation. (b) The non-standard one implies the problem of the unproved hypothesis, a problem analogous to the problem of the elenchus. (c) There is a structural analogy between Descartes’ ontological argument for the existence of God in his 5th Meditation and the final proof for the immortality of the soul in the Phaedo.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Vorwort V
- Inhalt VII
- Häufig verwendete Abkürzungen (nach Liddell/Scott/Jones) IX
- Plato’s Apology, Gorgias’ Defence of Palamedes and Hippolytus’ Defence in Euripides’ Hippolytus 1
- Sokrates: Tugend ist Wissen 7
- Was und wie hat Sokrates gewusst? 29
- Deuteros Plous, the Immortality of the Soul and the Ontological Argument for the Existence of God 57
- Plato as Teacher of Socrates? 85
- „Was jede Seele sucht und worumwillen sie alles tut“ 93
- Ist die Idee des Guten nicht transzendent oder ist sie es doch? 115
- Is the Idea of the Good Beyond Being? Plato’s epekeina tês ousias Revisited (Republic 6, 509b8–10) 139
- Warum hat Platon die ‚Ungeschriebene Lehre‘ nicht geschrieben? 147
- Who is the Measure of All Things in Plato? 167
- Plato’s “Parhelia”: Beauty, Symmetry and Truth 177
- Für eine propädeutische Lektüre des Politikos 197
- „Auf diese Weise nun gebe ich selbst meine Stimme ab“ 215
- Das Paradox von der Philosophenherrschaft im Staat, Staatsmann und in den Gesetzen 239
- Hat Platon in der ‚Ungeschriebenen Lehre‘ eine „Dogmatische Metaphysik und Systematik“ vertreten? 257
- Die „metaphysische Perle“ im „Sumpf der Tropen“ 273
- Platon und Kant 295
- „The Origins of Objectivity in Communal Discussion“ 313
- Statt eines Nachwortes 347
- Synopse der Erstveröffentlichungen 355
- Erwähnte Literatur 357
- Index locorum (Auswahl) 389
- Index rerum (Auswahl) 391
- Index nominum 395
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Vorwort V
- Inhalt VII
- Häufig verwendete Abkürzungen (nach Liddell/Scott/Jones) IX
- Plato’s Apology, Gorgias’ Defence of Palamedes and Hippolytus’ Defence in Euripides’ Hippolytus 1
- Sokrates: Tugend ist Wissen 7
- Was und wie hat Sokrates gewusst? 29
- Deuteros Plous, the Immortality of the Soul and the Ontological Argument for the Existence of God 57
- Plato as Teacher of Socrates? 85
- „Was jede Seele sucht und worumwillen sie alles tut“ 93
- Ist die Idee des Guten nicht transzendent oder ist sie es doch? 115
- Is the Idea of the Good Beyond Being? Plato’s epekeina tês ousias Revisited (Republic 6, 509b8–10) 139
- Warum hat Platon die ‚Ungeschriebene Lehre‘ nicht geschrieben? 147
- Who is the Measure of All Things in Plato? 167
- Plato’s “Parhelia”: Beauty, Symmetry and Truth 177
- Für eine propädeutische Lektüre des Politikos 197
- „Auf diese Weise nun gebe ich selbst meine Stimme ab“ 215
- Das Paradox von der Philosophenherrschaft im Staat, Staatsmann und in den Gesetzen 239
- Hat Platon in der ‚Ungeschriebenen Lehre‘ eine „Dogmatische Metaphysik und Systematik“ vertreten? 257
- Die „metaphysische Perle“ im „Sumpf der Tropen“ 273
- Platon und Kant 295
- „The Origins of Objectivity in Communal Discussion“ 313
- Statt eines Nachwortes 347
- Synopse der Erstveröffentlichungen 355
- Erwähnte Literatur 357
- Index locorum (Auswahl) 389
- Index rerum (Auswahl) 391
- Index nominum 395
