Socrates and Immortality

The question “What happens after death?” has perplexed the greatest minds, including Socrates (469 – 399 BCE).  A philosopher and educator, Socrates, concentrated his intellectual efforts to unravel the nature of human existence.  Socrates chose not to dissect animals, but instead human actions, emotions, and motivations. He wanted to discover why man and women were good or bad.  By observing human nature and through discussions with colleagues he tried to answer the basic question, “What makes a good life?”

These questions and his intense desire to share his ideas with others put him under the glaring eyes of the Athenian government. After a trail Socrates was imprisoned and sentenced to death. While awaiting execution, Socrates urged his fellow disciples not to despair. 

Socrates suggested that his personal knowledge like the virtues love, justice, and beauty were a part of the intangible invisible universe. He believed every person’s soul possessed a unique identity and wisdom.  Socrates determined a human was composed of two aspects, a body and what the Greeks referred to as the psyche – the mind or soul.  Through reasoning, Socrates determined that a sword or poison will kill the body, but the soul could never be destroyed.   The body returns to the earth and the soul escapes to the Heavens.

Socrates keeps referring to the soul.  What is the soul?  Socrates waited until hours before his execution to discuss this important question.  It was only then he determined his soul was immortal.  Socrates shared that death is only a changing of universes.