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slighter and weaker than a coat。 Now the relation of the body to the
soul may be expressed in a similar figure； for you may say with reason
that the soul is lasting； and the body weak and short…lived in
comparison。 And every soul may be said to wear out many bodies；
especially in the course of a long life。 For if while the man is alive
the body deliquesces and decays； and yet the soul always weaves her
garment anew and repairs the waste； then of course； when the soul
perishes； she must have on her last garment； and this only will
survive her； but then again when the soul is dead the body will at
last show its native weakness； and soon pass into decay。 And therefore
this is an argument on which I would rather not rely as proving that
the soul exists after death。 For suppose that we grant even more
than you affirm as within the range of possibility； and besides
acknowledging that the soul existed before birth admit also that after
death the souls of some are existing still； and will exist； and will
be born and die again and again； and that there is a natural
strength in the soul which will hold out and be born many times…for
all this； we may be still inclined to think that she will weary in the
labors of successive births； and may at last succumb in one of her
deaths and utterly perish； and this death and dissolution of the
body which brings destruction to the soul may be unknown to any of us；
for no one of us can have had any experience of it： and if this be
true； then I say that he who is confident in death has but a foolish
confidence； unless he is able to prove that the soul is altogether
immortal and imperishable。 But if he is not able to prove this； he who
is about to die will always have reason to fear that when the body
is disunited； the soul also may utterly perish。
All of us； as we afterwards remarked to one another； had an
unpleasant feeling at hearing them say this。 When we had been so
firmly convinced before； now to have our faith shaken seemed to
introduce a confusion and uncertainty； not only into the previous
argument； but into any future one； either we were not good judges；
or there were no real grounds of belief。
Ech。 There I feel with you…indeed I do； Phaedo； and when you were
speaking； I was beginning to ask myself the same question： What
argument can I ever trust again？ For what could be more convincing
than the argument of Socrates； which has now fallen into discredit？
That the soul is a harmony is a doctrine which has always had a
wonderful attraction for me； and； when mentioned； came back to me at
once； as my own original conviction。 And now I must begin again and
find another argument which will assure me that when the man is dead
the soul dies not with him。 Tell me； I beg； how did Socrates
proceed？ Did he appear to share the unpleasant feeling which you
mention？ or did he receive the interruption calmly and give a
sufficient answer？ Tell us； as exactly as you can； what passed。
Phaed。 Often； Echecrates； as I have admired Socrates； I never
admired him more than at that moment。 That he should be able to answer
was nothing； but what astonished me was； first； the gentle and
pleasant and approving manner in which he regarded the words of the
young men； and then his quick sense of the wound which had been
inflicted by the argument； and his ready application of the healing
art。 He might be compared to a general rallying his defeated and
broken army； urging them to follow him and return to the field of
argument。
Ech。 How was that？
Phaed。 You shall hear； for I was close to him on his right hand；
seated on a sort of stool； and he on a couch which was a good deal
higher。 Now he had a way of playing with my hair； and then he smoothed
my head； and pressed the hair upon my neck； and said： To…morrow；
Phaedo； I suppose that these fair locks of yours will be severed。
Yes； Socrates； I suppose that they will； I replied。
Not so if you will take my advice。
What shall I do with them？ I said。
To…day； he replied； and not to…morrow； if this argument dies and
cannot be brought to life again by us； you and I will both shave our
locks； and if I were you； and could not maintain my ground against
Simmias and Cebes； I would myself take an oath； like the Argives；
not to wear hair any more until I had renewed the conflict and
defeated them。
Yes； I said； but Heracles himself is said not to be a match for two。
Summon me then； he said； and I will be your Iolaus until the sun
goes down。
I summon you rather； I said； not as Heracles summoning Iolaus； but
as Iolaus might summon Heracles。
That will be all the same； he said。 But first let us take care
that we avoid a danger。
And what is that？ I said。
The danger of becoming misologists； he replied； which is one of
the very worst things that can happen to us。 For as there are
misanthropists or haters of men； there are also misologists or
haters of ideas； and both spring from the same cause； which is
ignorance of the world。 Misanthropy arises from the too great
confidence of inexperience； you trust a man and think him altogether
true and good and faithful； and then in a little while he turns out to
be false and knavish； and then another and another； and when this
has happened several times to a man； especially within the circle of
his most trusted friends； as he deems them； and he has often quarreled
with them； he at last hates all men； and believes that no one has
any good in him at all。 I dare say that you must have observed this。
Yes； I said。
And is not this discreditable？ The reason is that a man； having to
deal with other men； has no knowledge of them； for if he had knowledge
he would have known the true state of the case； that few are the
good and few the evil； and that the great majority are in the interval
between them。
How do you mean？ I said。
I mean； he replied； as you might say of the very large and very
small； that nothing is more uncommon than a very large or a very small
man； and this applies generally to all extremes； whether of great
and small； or swift and slow； or fair and foul； or black and white：
and whether the instances you select be men or dogs or anything
else； few are the extremes； but many are in the mean between them。 Did
you never observe this？
Yes； I said； I have。
And do you not imagine； he said； that if there were a competition of
evil； the first in evil would be found to be very few？
Yes； that is very likely； I said。
Yes； that is very likely； he replied； not that in this respect
arguments are like men…there I was led on by you to say more than I
had intended； but the point of comparison was that when a simple man
who has no skill in dialectics believes an argument to be true which