A Critique of Plato’s Arguments in Defence of the Immortality of the Soul in the Phaedo (Marginal Reference) (Published)
This paper attempts a critique of Plato’s arguments in defence of immortality of the soul in the Phaedo. It examines the cyclical argument and the argument from opposites, argument from knowledge as recollection and the argument from the Forms. It concludes that while Plato’s argument on recollection defended an extreme version of rationalism which cannot be defended consistently, the argument from the Forms is shrouded with ambiguity and Plato fails to locate his position on reincarnation within the diverse views in the literature to support the cyclical argument and the argument from opposites.
Keywords: Defence, Immortality, Phaedo, Plato, Soul