......Now when I give this essay as a talk in Athens, I used to say jokingly that any atheists should cover up their ears for 90 seconds or so since I want to talk briefly about what Socrates has to say about the soul. However, as one young lady in my audience kindly reminded me at one of these talks, the Greeks used the word ‘psyche’ meaning literally ‘breath’ for the rational mind and inner self – which has been translated rather clumsily as ‘soul’ by most translators of the ancient Greek Platonic texts. Just keep in mind for now that the word psyche to the ancient Greeks did not have quite as much (or the same) religious baggage as the word soul has for us today. So atheists can feel comfortable about reading the next few paragraphs anyway, and I am grateful for the young lady in question for reminding me of the need to mention this point at this stage to any future listeners or readers. This point about psyche instead of soul is covered in a bit more detail in the next essay ‘The Nuts and Bolts of Plato’ and so I will not delay on this issue here.
What Socrates has explained to Alcibiades (in my previous blog post) is that what we (the self) actually are is ‘souls’ (psyche, essence) and that this ‘knowing ourselves’ is really about knowing that we are souls – at least according to Socrates and Plato. Socrates believes therefore that if anyone is going to take good care of, improve, or inform one’s ‘self’ better (and make better Life Choices for a good and happy life), then it is of primary importance to worry less about the material consumer type possessions and other man made possessions which are just added on to our bodies (like the shoes, the rings, the tools, the powerful political office, the titles and the celebrity) – but to ensure that we take good care of our souls and live in a way that is good for the soul. So the study of philosophy as it was meant by Socrates and Plato was not just about knowing on which date various famous philosophers were born, or what date Plato opened the Academy even though it might be interesting. Neither was it simply about what Socrates and Plato thought about democracy or how to organise the ideal city politically. Nor was the philosophy of Socrates and Plato simply about how to present clever arguments or discuss complicated abstract ideas. One of the central themes of Socratic philosophy was about how to look after our souls in the very best way we can, and nearly all the books of Plato deal with this subject in one way or another. For generations, many teachers of philosophy in schools and colleges have failed to make this clear to their students.
This idea that we need to look after our psyche or our souls may be all very easy to quote from Plato’s writings on Socrates, but what does it all mean to our lives today (if anything) and how can it help us, especially if we are not particularly spiritual people or even atheists. Let me try to explain by asking three quick rhetorical questions and then draw this first essay to a close. My first question is do you believe that we human beings have a soul, and that the soul somehow ‘kinda’ lives on after our body has died? It does not matter why or how you think or feel this but just whether you have that kind of feeling or not. I am not suggesting what answer is correct; but I do suggest that depending on the answer a person gives to this question, it will usually have a big effect on the way that person chooses to live their life.
Now my second question, just for those who do believe in something ‘up there’, is do you believe that the kind of life we live or lead here on earth will somehow affect the way our souls go on after we die? Judgment may be too strong a word maybe, since I am just talking about a vague sense that ‘good’ people who try to live ‘good’ lives somehow benefit in some way when or if we move on. (… and of course not everyone thinks that we do….)
My third and final rhetorical question is for those who do not believe in a soul which somehow goes on after death. Do you think that it is better to try and live your life in a good, kind, considerate, environmentally sustainable and virtuous way rather than living in a greedy, selfish, non-caring way? (Well of course you do – I hope!)
So my point is whether we believe strongly in the existence of the soul – or maybe just a little – or even not at all – perhaps we can all still agree that: ‘some ways of living are preferable to others’. The philosophy of Socrates and Plato is very much about trying to work out logically what those preferable ways of living are; whether they apply to us as individuals or to us as members of communities such as cities and countries; so there is plenty to interest atheists as well as spiritual people in ‘real’ Greek or Socratic philosophy.
Remember Socrates was very modest about all of his ideas, and this is one of the reasons personally why I really like him, and spend a little time investigating what he has to say on a few things, whether I agree with him or not. In another of Plato’s dialogues (The Phaedo) he says that even if he is mistaken and the soul does not exist and does not go on after death, he still prefers to live the life of a good and decent man rather than the life of a bad selfish guy, and so he says he has nothing to lose or fear either way by trying to make himself wiser and living the best type of life he can.
However, in contrast to this easy going attitude about his own ideas and whether you agree with him or not, Socrates also says that the un-examined life is not worth living. What he means by this is that providing ‘you wonder’ about a few things and realise when you do not know all the answers; and then assuming you have the curiosity to find out slowly about some of those issues; you will have started to become philosophers and lovers of wisdom yourself – as indeed Socrates hopes to persuade Alcibiades to be. If you then build up certain intellectual skills and techniques to examine things wisely and methodically you will be able to come up with your own well informed ideas and opinions on various subjects - and that is the most important thing to Socrates whether you agree with him or not. For then you will have become a little bit wiser as you go through life, and started to become real philosophers yourselves in the Socratic sense of the word. More importantly still, you will also have begun to ‘Know Yourself’' - and to know exactly where and what you are.....
FOOTNOTE:
Some important tips for young travellers, new philosophers or older searchers looking for the right path; and indeed for any lost tourists. (Actually, these were some of the discussion points for the end of my Athens talks on this subject. I include them now in case you would like to think about one or two of them while waiting for your next flight or train….. )
- Sometimes when appropriate, we are obliged to realise that we are in completely the wrong place we need to be in order to start the path we want.
- On long journeys, we only have to be a few degrees off course from the right direction we want to take, but after a while this can become a big mistake and we finish up in a completely different place to where we planned to go.
- Sometimes on the Athens metro we first need to get off the blue line to the airport – if we need or want to get on the green line to Piraeus and the port where the ferry boats leave to the Greek islands. The blue line metro will never get you close to the boats – it’s going somewhere else.
- Even when following the correct way of our own chosen path there are good places to turn left and right – or take a rest – as we go along. It is important to realise when these turns or breaks come along. (A little experience helps.)
- Changing course to go around a difficult obstacle, or taking a break for a while, is not the same as wavering from the path or somehow failing. Few paths are a simple straight and steady line - unfortunately!
(From Essay 1 of James’ new book ‘Life Choice – Important Tips From Socrates, Plato and Aristotle’ p. 30 - 34) For more details and a description of this book click:
Life Choices at Amazon (Available as eBook or paperback)
Life Choices at Amazon (Available as eBook or paperback)
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