The main argument of the Phaedo for the Theory of Recollection and the Immortality of the Soul

Subject  > Humanities Essays  > Philosophy  > Contemporary Philosophy

The main argument Plato expressed in Phaedo (through Socrates) regarding the Theory of Recollection and his philosophy on the Immortality of the Soul can be explained as follows: "That our ability to judge objects of experience whether they are more or less perfect *presupposes* that we already have a concept of perfect objects in our minds, Therefore, we cannot gain these concepts of perfect objects from any experience, but had to have them before all experiences. Since our experiences began with our birth, we had to have them before birth. A priori knowledge, which is based on our having these concepts, is prenatal. (Theory of Recollection) Our soul had to have these concepts before birth, so it had to exist before ...

... as the direct objects of our intellectual concepts, whereby we have a priori knowledge, Therefore, a proof that these Forms cannot exist is a refutation of Plato's theory of recollection. That Forms cannot be the kinds of entities described by his "naïve theory" Plato himself recognized in the arguments of his dialogue Parmenides. Plato contended that there is no way we learn or acquire the knowledge of this universal essence of beauty. Ideas such as an essence of beauty must be known or grasped only through the intuitive grasp of reason. However, as long as we are imprisoned in our body and using our senses, we can only seek and love the knowledge

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