Book 5, The Phaedo: Chapter 1, Introduction & The Phaedo Summary and Analysis

This is the final of the 4 dialogs in The Last Days of Socrates. It has a rather lengthy introduction. It is designed to make clear in other ways what is also expressed in the dialog. This is the longest of the three dialogs that are presented together as The Last Days of Socrates.

The Phaedo includes Socrates' beliefs regarding mortality and immortality of the human soul. The intended audience of this dialog are philosophers whereas the others were designed for a more general readership. The particular school of thought was the Pythagorean school. This was a powerful group in the era. Mathematics, music and philosophy were all areas of expertise amongst them.

This dialog was written later by Plato than the preceding three. The editors provide a glimpse into...