Socrates examines death from a philosophical point of view and concludes that for good upstanding people death should not be feared. He states, “The fear of death is indeed the pretence of wisdom, and not real wisdom, being a pretence of knowing the unknown” (29a). In other words, death lies in the realm of the unknown, and it is impossible to fear something before one understands it. After receiving the death sentence Socrates does not invite fear into his thoughts, instead he realizes that “those of us who think death is an evil are in error” (40c). And by dismissing fear he is now able to examine death fully, dissecting it in a way that he can understand.
The theory of the existence of a soul is something that Socrates begins to ponder. He theorizes that “either death is a state of nothingness and utter unconsciousness, or, as many say, there is a change and migration of the soul from this world to another” (40d). When discussing death in the Apology Socrates upholds a feeling of optimistic uncertainty. He knows that death is expected to come, and realizes that he cannot understand fully what will transpire once that moment arrives. And in this revelation he turns to the jury and says, “the hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways – I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows” (42a).
Following Socrates’ trial and conviction he is sent to his prison cell to await his execution. The Crito involves a conversation between Socrates and his friend Crito. Crito wants to help Socrates and break him free from the prison walls. Socrates says that he will only leave if he believes that the conviction of the jury to be unjust. This ignites a debate between Socrates and Crito over what is just vs. what is unjust. Crito maintains his position that Socrates should in fact leave the prison. Socrates however, is overcome by a feeling of doubt.
If Socrates were to leave, he would escape death and possibly live on the spread his philosophies throughout Athens. But this is not what Socrates is concerned about. He instead wants to make sure that what he does in this moment does not in turn create an unfavorable afterlife for himself. If Socrates were to break free from prison now, he would be making himself an outlaw. And through this realization he understands now that when he dies he will be harshly judged in the underworld for behaving unjustly toward his city’s laws. He presents the theory to Crito and says to him that “If you go forth returning evil for evil, and injury for injury . . . we shall be angry with you while you live, and our brethren, the laws in the world below, will receive you as an enemy” (54b).
Socrates is conscious of the fact that what he does now, will determine his afterlife: His philosophies continue to remain strong and steadfast. The optimism which he presents in the Apology is remembered: “be of good cheer about death, and know of a certainty that no evil can happen to a good man either in life or after death” (41c). This feeling however was hard to convey to others, especially those closest to Socrates.
The Phaedo describes the mood of Socrates’ friends on the last day of his life. Phaedo felt torn by his own emotions on this day. On one end, he loved the philosophical debates they were engaging in, on the other however he could not get out of his mind the imminent death which his friend Socrates’ would endure. “This double feeling was shared by us all . . . we were laughing and weeping by turns” (107). Socrates begins to peacefully answer all of his friends’ questions pertaining to the soul, its separation from the body at death, and ultimately its immortality.
In the instance of the Death Scene we see Socrates welcoming death with cheerfulness in somewhat of a prophetic nature. In this sense the remembrance of the Apology once comes into play where Socrates states that, “In the hour of death men are gifted with prophetic power” (39c). This prediction he makes apparently comes true, which calls to mind the fact that all that Socrates professes in this last hour of his death he believes to be absolutely true. And as Socrates’ friends continue to inquire, an unsettling scene unfolds.
Crito asks Socrates how they should bury him once he has passed. Socrates responds by saying they should do this however they like for this is only his body, a mere shell for his soul. He then turned to them “and added with a smile: I cannot make Crito believe that I am the same Socrates who have been talking and conducting the argument; he fancies that I am the other Socrates whom he will soon see, a dead body” (115c). Socrates put off a sense of cheerfulness through this last hour, and it seems he was very much excited to enter the “joys of the blessed” (115d).
Phaedo however recalls the feeling of mourning experienced among the many and says that Socrates “was like a father of whom we were being bereaved, and we were about to pass the rest of our lives as orphans” (116a). It seems that Socrates recognized this sense of sadness among his friends. He responds to the mood unfavorabley and treats the moment with disdain: “What is this strange outcry? I sent away the women mainly in order that they might not offend in this way, for I have heard that a man should die in peace. Be quiet, then, and have patience (117e). This last hour did not disturb Socrates in the the way it did his friends. The thought of his own death does not even sway his ability to carry out the actual deed of his execution. He welcomes the cup of poison and “cheerfully” (117b) drinks it down. And as Socrates lie there unmoved Phaedo recalls the man he most admired: “Such was the end, Echecrates, of our friend, whom I may truly call the wisest, and justest, and best of all the men whom I have ever known” (118a).
For a man not to fear death, not even the slightest bit is a remarkable feat. However when examining the life of Socrates, his daily life involved the preparation for his own death. Through his daily philosophical debates, Socrates engaged in conversations which forced him to examine his life. After all as Socrates states himself in the Apology, “the unexamined life is not worth living” (38a). For me personally it is difficult to understand how Socrates could totally commit his life to this. And ironically Socrates was aware of this type of difficulty and responds with fear: “I am afraid that other people do not realize that the one aim of those who practice philosophy in the proper manner is to practice for dying and death” (64a).
