The Socratic Approach to Death
Mortality as a Path to Wisdom + New Book Review
“Death is not an evil. What is it then? The one law mankind has that is free of all discrimination.” - Seneca the Younger
Hello Comrades. You join me this morning in a new co-working space. I took myself out of my home environment to get inspired and write.
I wanted to drop in and share my thoughts on Donald Robertson’s new book - How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World. As well as adding in some knowledge on what caught my attention most during my first read through, that will hopefully benefit you as well.
For me this book's strength is a combination of bridging the gap between ancient Greek history, the dialogues of Socrates as an easier to digest story of his lifetime, with modern psychological applications at key chapters in the book.
Donald's experience as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist shines through in this book, often citing himself as an example of how to action the teachings of ancient philosophy in your daily life - The Socratic way!
You'll learn about: The Socratic Method and how to use it. Confronting fear, especially that of death and it's associated anxiety. The power of self reflection/examination, cognitive reframing exercises, and overall how little the world and human condition have actually changed in the last 2,500 years.
I’d actually like to cover these topics myself, and will do in later editions of this newsletter/substack. What is most striking for me is how Socrates approaches death. In fact the last few chapters of Donald’s book covering this, I’ve re-read multiple times.
Those of you that have followed my writings across different platforms, know that I’ve covered the topic extensively, but not from the Socratic point of view.
In many ways I’ve covered this through a Stoic lens, which is heavily influenced by Socratic thought.
*N.B - Here’s a free to read link on one of my most read articles on the subject.
Socrates' View on Death
"To fear death, gentlemen, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know. No one knows whether death may not be the greatest of all blessings for a man, yet men fear it as if they knew that it is the greatest of evils." - Attributed to Socrates
Socrates, as portrayed in Plato's works and elsewhere, approached death with remarkable serenity. Especially being put to death after a lengthy trial - for allegedly ‘corrupting the youth’ of Athens.
We can look at his thoughts on Death in two parts:
Death and the Unknown: Fear of death is irrational because none of us know what it entails. The quote above echoes this sentiment.
The beneficials of Death: Socrates proposed two possibilities for what happens after death, both of which he considered potentially positive:
a) A state of nothingness, akin to a dreamless sleep
b) A transition to another realm where the soul continues to exist.
The possibility of either of these elements, emphasises the importance of critical thinking and self awareness/reflection. We must prepare for both eventualities, and ultimately fear neither.
"If death is a transmigration to some sort of afterlife, that afterlife will be populated by all the great figures of the past, from Homer to Odysseus. Socrates remarks how delightful it would be to pass amongst these great figures, questioning them regarding their wisdom."
We all know the famous maxim “Know Thyself” often etched into the tapestry of Socrates way of life and one the Temple of Apollo in Delphi! And there is a famous declaration from him, that ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’.
For me, there are certain things; I’d like to practice to decrease my fear of mortality and ensure I approach future events surrounding death with courage and equanimity, just like Socrates did - albeit not under the same predicament he found himself in.
This comes with a list, I write this to myself as a reminder for what to strive for in my day to day life:
Practice Self-Reflection Daily - Question your beliefs, actions and values. What kind of person do you want to be? How can you do good in your own little world? So when the time comes, no matter when that is, you’ve done your best. Journal these thoughts, and go back to them regularly.
It’s a Lifelong Journey of Learning - The pursuit of Wisdom and Knowledge of the world around us, and why we operate like we do is paramount to understanding many parts of life.
Learn to Critically Think - Socrates method of questioning might have been annoying to some, but he was on to something. Evaluate the sources of information around you to make informed decisions. And realise you are not as smart/intellectual as you think.
Practice Empathy - Everyone around you no matter their stature, or position faces hardship. Unfortunately, some of us get it tougher than others. Everyone you meet or interact with has their own story and in that there is an opportunity for kindness. Start local, and with those closest to you.
Focus on the internal - Improve your character and soul, rather than showing off what you can afford, or possess. Beyond consumerism is the real world around us.
Embrace ethical living to the fullest - Emphasis here on the Cardinal Virtues, and Living According to Reason. This will help you live a more honest life in both personal and professional environments.
The Legacy of Socrates
Socrates' views on death have influenced philosophical and psychological approaches to mortality for centuries. As most of are aware his influence is seen throughout the history of Stoicism, which came almost 1 century after.
In one sense you have to admire his courage in the face of his own death sentence, this demonstrates the power of his convictions. With multiple military campaigns under his belt, he would have been surrounded by death on a regular basis, throughout his adult life.
As he stated in his final speech, "No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death."
The essence of the good man is his soul and his soul can only be affected by his own actions.
While contemplating death may seem morbid, and let’s face it, not ideal. I want to insist that you use it as a tool and motivation for aiming to live well.
Socrates' teachings remind us that the fear of death often stems from our attachment to life and our ignorance of what lies beyond.
I hope that with time, and rational practice I can realise that death is nothing to fear, but rather a natural part of existence that can inspire us to live more fully and authentically.
In the end, it is not about resigning ourselves to fate, but about living with such Wisdom and Virtue that we can face our mortality with equanimity and grace.
As
’s book is the inspiration for this musing today. I’ll leave the link to his Substack and the book here: https://g.co/kgs/Hsk6uL6
*A note on the book - This isn't a run of the mill self-help book with Philosophy peppered in. It aims to focus on fundamental questions of daily life, through the retelling of a turbulent period of world history.
I feel like anyone reading it is encouraged to explore essential life questions. I know it had this effect on me.
One warning - the book is quite history laden so expect to delve into key events, and battles of the time period. I found myself googling, or searching for some key figures mentioned in the book that I wasn't previously aware of (which I enjoyed personally).
Anyone interested in Stoicism, or developing a deeper sense of self needs to pick this title up and see it through. Highly recommended from me.
Until next time,
Memento mori,
Enda (The Irish Stoic)
The Irish Stoic is a passion project. If you wish to support me, you can help keep me caffeinated during my next writing session: https://ko-fi.com/theirishstoic
Interesting read. You can see the parallels from this with the Stoics. I guess that's the point of it. Would like to check out Donald's book as well. Thanks.