Key Arguments

• Socrates elicits agreement from Simmias that ‘there is such a thing as death’.
• He then defines death as ‘the separation of soul and body’, and ‘to be dead’ as the ‘completion of this’ condition.
• He specifies that in death ‘the soul exists in herself, and is released from the body and the body is released from the soul’, and asks, ‘what is this but death?’ to secure Simmias’ assent.

Source Quotes

And they are right, Simmias, in thinking so, with the exception of the words 'they have found them out'; for they have not found out either what is the nature of that death which the true philosopher deserves, or how he deserves or desires death. But enough of them:—let us discuss the matter among ourselves: Do we believe that there is such a thing as death? To be sure, replied Simmias. Is it not the separation of soul and body?

To be sure, replied Simmias. Is it not the separation of soul and body? And to be dead is the completion of this; when the soul exists in herself, and is released from the body and the body is released from the soul, what is this but death? Just so, he replied. There is another question, which will probably throw light on our present inquiry if you and I can agree about it:—Ought the philosopher to care about the pleasures—if they are to be called pleasures—of eating and drinking?

Key Concepts

• Do we believe that there is such a thing as death? To be sure, replied Simmias.
• Is it not the separation of soul and body? And to be dead is the completion of this; when the soul exists in herself, and is released from the body and the body is released from the soul, what is this but death? Just so, he replied.

Context

As he begins to explain why the philosopher should welcome death, Socrates first secures a basic conceptual agreement with Simmias about what ‘death’ is.