“If death had only been the end of all, the wicked would have had a good bargain in dying, for they would have been happily quit not only of their body, but of their own evil together with their souls. But now, as the soul plainly appears to be immortal, there is no release or salvation from evil except the attainment of the highest virtue and wisdom. For the soul when on her progress to the world below takes nothing with her but nurture and education…”

Plato, Phaedo

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Sept. 28, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "If death had only been the end of all, the wicked would have had a good bargain in dying, for they would have been happ…" by Socrates?

Socrates168

classical Greek Athenian philosopher -470–-399 BC

Related quotes

“If man had been created solely for the sake of this world, he would have had no need of being inspired with a soul so precious and exalted as to be greater than the angels themselves, especially so in that it derives no satisfaction whatsoever from all of the pleasures of this world. … "What is this analogous to? To the case of a city dweller who married a princess. If he brought her all that the world possessed, it would mean nothing to her, by virtue of her being a king's daughter. So is it with the soul. If it were to be brought all the delights of the world, they would be as nothing to it."”

Moshe Chaim Luzzatto book Mesillat Yesharim

quote is from Koheleth Rabbah
Mesillat Yesharim (1738), Chapter 1

“[In the world below…] The wise and orderly soul is conscious of her situation, and follows in the path; but the soul which desires the body, and which… has long been fluttering about the lifeless frame and the world of sight, is after many struggles and many sufferings hardly and with violence carried away by her attendant genius, and when she arrives at the place where the other souls are gathered, if she be impure and have done impure deeds or have been concerned in foul murders or other crimes… from that soul everyone flees and turns away; no one will be her companion, no one her guide, but alone she wanders in extremity of evil until certain times are fulfilled…”

Socrates (-470–-399 BC) classical Greek Athenian philosopher

Plato, Phaedo

“They who have a care of their souls, and do not merely live in the fashions of the body, say farewell to all this; they will not walk in the ways of the blind: and when philosophy offers them purification and release from evil, they feel that they ought not resist her influence, and to her they incline, and whither she leads they follow her.”

Socrates (-470–-399 BC) classical Greek Athenian philosopher

Plato, Phaedo

“And this, Cebes, is the reason why the true lovers of knowledge are temperate and brave; and not for the reason that the world gives. For not in that way does the soul of a philosopher reason. …Never fear, Simmias and Cebes, that a soul which has been thus nurtured and has had these pursuits, will at her departure from the body be scattered and blown away by the winds and be nowhere and nothing.”

Socrates (-470–-399 BC) classical Greek Athenian philosopher

Plato, Phaedo

“He had almost yielded, but not quite. He had not consented. It is very hard for evil to take hold of the unconsenting soul.”

Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) American writer

Source: Earthsea Books, A Wizard of Earthsea (1968), Chapter 7

“Kev wasn't certain if he was surrendering to Win or to his own passion for her. Only that there was no more holding back. He would take her. And he would give her everything he had, every part of his soul, even the broken pieces.”

Lisa Kleypas (1964) American writer

Source: Seduce Me at Sunrise

“I looked down at her shriveled corpse. It lay across that of her brother. One had represented the evil of the world, the other the good. Yet both had been defeated by pride, by ambition, by a promise of immortality.”

Michael Moorcock (1939) English writer, editor, critic

Book 3, Chapter 4 (p. 669)
The Dragon in the Sword (1986)

“It was such an unexpected and genuine smile that if I only had a soul I'm sure I would have felt quite guilty.”

Jeff Lindsay book Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Source: Darkly Dreaming Dexter

“52. To separate the body from the soul is the privilege of only of the One who has joined them together. But to separate the soul from the body lies as well in the power of the man who pursues virtue. For our Fathers gave to the meditation of death and to the flight from the body a spiritual name: anachoresis”

Evagrius Ponticus (345–399) Christian monk

withdrawal
The Praktikos

“Whether she won or lost, she would continue to wrestle with life. It would not be with her own life alone but with all of life. Something had finally been released within her. And there it was, the sea.”

Clarice Lispector (1920–1977) Brazilian writer

An Apprenticeship, or The Book of Delights (1968)

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Socrates168

Related quotes

Related topics