Plato blogging: The Phaedo

Thanks to projects like archive.org, this post will probably still be online when you are dead.
Weird, huh?
In the beginning of Plato’s Phaedo Phaedo describes to Echectrates the conversation Socrates had with his friends in his prison cell while he awaited execution. Phaedo, who was present for the discussion, reports that he and Socrates’ other companions experienced “an unaccustomed mixture of pleasure and pain.”(Phaedo 59a6.) Presumably, he enjoyed spending time with Socrates, but was saddened to know that his friend would soon die.
It must have been strange to converse with the knowledge that Socrates would be dead in a number of hours. The coming death was certain-Socrates had been given a number of opportunities to escape from prison in the past and had refused them. He was scheduled to die at sundown. As the dialog begins in the morning, the men in the prison cell had an entire day to count down the hours to Socrates’ death.

If we were to visit Socrates’ prison cell, many of us would probably react like the woman Xanthippe:

We found Socrates recently released from his chains, and Xanithippe-you know her-sitting by him, holding their baby. When she saw us, she cried out and said the sort of thing that women usually say: “Socrates, this is the last time your friends will talk to you and you to them.” Socrates looked at Crito. “Crito,” he said, “let someone take her home.” And some of Crito’s people led her away lamenting and beating her breast. (Phaedo 60a1)

The woman’s reaction is understandable. Her lover, and the father of her child, is about to be taken from her. It seems natural for her to be distraught. So why is she treated so unfavorably in the text?
I think it’s because of that ‘unaccustomed mixture of pleasure and pain’ I mentioned earlier. She takes no pleasure in Socrates’ last hours. She is able to feel nothing but pain. This is inappropriate because Socrates is still alive and well. He is ready to enjoy his last day on earth discussing with his friends and is unafraid of what awaits him in the afterlife.
Wouldn’t it be weird to spend a day discussing ideas with someone who will be dead in a few hours? Then again, how do you know you aren’t doing that every time you have a conversation? You don’t know. Any of us could go at any time. The possibility of death is always hanging over us, we just don’t think about it very often.
This is a sobering thought, but it need not be a hopeless thought, especially for those who have given their lives to Christ. Do not forget that our time here is limited, but don’t make Xanthippe’s mistake, either.
Crossposted from http://wheatstoneforum.com .