ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books History of Western Philosophy 2.3.1.6 Doctrine of Immortality [From psychology: the part of the individual, which "knows" sense impression and opinion, is the body; the soul knows or has genuine knowledge or science.

Because the soul possesses apprehension of ideas prior to its contact with the world: all knowledge is reminiscence and all learning is awakening.] Arguments for Immortality: Epistemological: [^1] The soul has contemplated eternal ideas and only like can know like: [^2] from the doctrine of reminiscences.

Metaphysical: [^1] From the simplicity of the soul: it cannot be produced by composition or destroyed by disintegration, [^2] from vitality: as the source of its own motion, the soul is eternal [a survival of atomistic conceptions] [first cause argument, perhaps]and various other metaphysical arguments.

Moral and Valuational: from the superiority and dignity of the soul: it must survive the body; a variation: everything is destroyed by its "connatural" evil; the evils of the soul [its worst vices: injustice, etc.] do not destroy the soul hence its indestructibility. [There are hardly any arguments advanced in the literature on immortality which are not foreshadowed by Plato.] 2.3.1.7 Ethics Ethical being is one in which the superior principles dominate: rationality.

Wisdom: reason over other impulses of the soul; bravery: reason over emotion [fear, pain]; temperance: reason over desireJustice: wisdom with bravery and temperance 2.3.1.8 Politics Plato's theory of the state [in The Republic] is based on his ethics. Social life is a means to perfection of individuals. Laws result from imperfection of individuals which leads to the state.

Classes in society result from functions of the soul; harmony among the classes results from functional relations of the healthy soul: Ruling class: those embodying reason [philosophers] Warriors: the spirited. Their function: defense. Agriculturists, workers, merchants, artisans: lower appetites. Their function: production. Justice in state: each class functions according to its character.

The ideal society is a family: Plato opposes monogamy, private property, recommends for the two upper castes who are to be supported by workers communism and common possession of wives and childrenPlato recommends: eugenic supervision of marriages and births, exposure of weak children, compulsory state education, education of women for war and government, and censorship.