Socrates’ & Plato’s Approaches to Death | Discussion

Explain how Socrates and Plato approached death in their view of philosophy as a way of life by drawing on Socrates’ idea that “the unexamined life is not worth living” and Plato’s idea that philosophy is practice for death and dying.  Drawing on this explanation, if you were put in Socrates’s shoes—on trial for your own life—how would you summarize and defend your own life?

Socrates and Plato differ in their view of philosophy where Socrates believes that “the unexamined life is not worth living” (48b4-5).  while Plato’s idea is that philosophy is practice for death and dying.  Socrates “the unexamined life is not worth living” actually just meant that a life of vice and indulgence is not worth living and one should instead dedicate life to the pursuit of moral excellence, virtue, and moderation.  Plato is more extreme in his point of view as he sees everything should be dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.  He sees the body as a limitation to the pursuit of wisdom and also makes an individual become prone to vices and licentious habits.  Such, he views that philosophy can be better practiced in death and dying because it would no longer be limited by the body.

Having said the viewpoints of these philosophers about life and death, I would be inclined to defend my own life according to the philosophy of Socrates.  Socrates prescribes one to live a first rate life which is a life of virtue, excellence, moderation and wisdom.  Plato on the other hand may agree with the idea of Socrates on how to live one’s life but he is just too extreme for me in his search for wisdom.  For him, the body is just a container which restricts the soul in its quest to seek knowledge and wisdom.  He sees the human body as an impediment in the quest for meaning so he sees death not as a tyrant that would end human life and existence but rather an emancipator as one would no longer be bound by the constraint of the body.  In a way, he also abhorred the existence of the human body for it makes an individual to contract vices and licentious habits which is an anathema to a philosopher’s life.  Such, he welcomes and even embrace death.  But no matter how well Plato has argued his position about death, I would still not subscribe to it because I am still young and still have a lot to experience in this life.  Probably when I am already old and tired where life could no longer offer me anything, that may be the time that I would welcome Plato’s proposal about death.

For now, however, I would summarize and defend my life according to the philosophy of Socrates that could be summed up with the adage “the unexamined life is not worth living”.  As an individual, I do not claim to be perfect or highly virtuous.  I make mistakes, probably lots of them but I always try to become better.  I reflect on my past mistakes and learn from them and hopefully, that I may no longer repeat the same mistake.  I may not be the best in the things that I do, but I always try my hardest to be better – be it in school, in sport, or whatever endeavor that I may be in.  This is consistent with Socrates prescription that an examined life should be dedicated to the pursuit of excellence or at least, to become better.  I do not also indulge in vices and licentious habit of which Socrates prohibits as he prescribes the “golden mean” or being moderate and avoiding excesses.  I may like certain foods and would like to have fun but certainly, I do them in moderation and not in excess.  I know I still have a long way to go and still needs a lot of things to learn so I must be given the opportunity to live an examined life and not to end it as Plato would suggest just because this body is a hindrance to the quest of knowledge and wisdom.  I would really like to keep my body and just to continue living an examined life.  I am too young for death.

Work Cited

Plato (1908). Apology of Socrates. London: Macmillan.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
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