View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Socrates argue about our knowledge of Greater, smaller, Beautiful, Good, Justice and Pious?

2. What pleasures are not the great goods of life according to Socrates?

3. Who owns men according to 62c?

4. What question does Socrates ask Simmias in 62d-66a?

5. Who wants to hear Socrates' argument that the soul appears immortal?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Echecrates ask Phaedo at the beginning of "Phaedo"?

2. What, according to Socrates, does not come from the body and what does the body cause?

3. What does recollection imply about similarity?

4. What might the soul be unable to do, according to the end of 73a-81a?

5. What does Socrates claim are not the great goods of life?

6. What belief of Simmias' does Socrates question?

7. What must man do in order to attain pure knowledge?

8. At the beginning of 62d-66a, what does Socrates maintain about the philosopher?

9. What does Socrates say should be the one goal of the philosopher?

10. What do Cebes and Simmias claim about the wise?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "Phaedo", Socrates argues that the soul is immortal and that we need to rise above our physical nature in order to gain knowledge. Discuss why we need to rise above physical nature in the pursuit of true knowledge. Use examples from the text to support your discussion.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the setting used in the Socratic dialogues presented in Plato's "Phaedo". How does setting affect the means of argument? The content? Why is the setting important?

Essay Topic 3

"Phaedo" heavily emphasizes the role of the philosopher in ancient times. Discuss the role and significance of the philosopher, using the text and a secondary source to support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 564 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample