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Phaedo

Plato, translated by G. M. A. Grube

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Founder connections

  • Brunello CucinelliInherited book; described as a catalyst for his love of books
    Cucinelli identifies his uncle’s annotated Phaedo in his own 2021 account. He describes that encounter as a possible catalyst for collecting and loving books and places it among experiences that powerfully influenced him. This goes beyond ownership, but does not establish that he read the whole dialogue or used the registry edition.
    Source

Summary

Plato presents Socrates in conversation with friends as his execution approaches. Their questions concern death, the soul and whether it can survive the body. The dialogue joins an account of a final day to a sustained philosophical discussion.

Arguments and replies matter as much as the scene itself: the speakers ask for reasons rather than relying only on reassurance. This edition is G. M. A. Grube’s English translation of the ancient dialogue.

  • SourcePhaedo — original publisher edition · Hackett: Plato, G. M. A. Grube translation, second edition, 1977, paperback ISBN 9780915144181. Original HTML downloaded after web reader returned 403.
  • SourcePhaedo — original publisher description of the dialogue · Indexed publisher description identifies the same dialogue: Socrates discusses death, dying and the soul before execution. Description belongs to another translation, not selected edition metadata.

Why read it Our view

For founders who use philosophical reading to examine conviction and uncertainty, attend to how the speakers question and answer one another under pressure. Consider why the dialogue places arguments about death within an account of a final day.