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socrates dialogue about our soul

socrates dialogue about our soul What a lovely day!! It’s Saturday morning and I am heading to my auntie’s house in the east side of the city, her only son had died two weeks ago, she still at a lost as to what caused his death. Ulysses, my cousin, had enrolled in the military just to prove to his dad that he wasn’t a sissy man, he could no longer take the pressure and constant put downs, so one day he thought he will prove the world wrong and joined the tank forces. His death is believed to have come from a result of rats urinating on the corn, rice and beans that the cadets ate at the base. Since I haven’t really sat down to pay my condolences to my aunt I am taking this opportunity to do so, it’s not going to be an easy task since this tragedy still fresh in everyone’s mind. Javier: Hello! Good morning aunt Lila! Aren’t we having a nice day? I woke up to the harmonious singing of the birds we have in my yard, I just new that it was the birds’ way of telling me to wake up and enjoy this lovely day. Lila: Yes, I do agree with you. It seems as though I am finally going to have something to cheer for, something that might bring joy to this house, and I am not talking only about this day we are having but your presence here! I certainly do appreciate your taking this time to share some of your spare time with this old lady that hasn’t had much to live for these past days. Javier: Do not feel that way, I know for a fact that my cousin Ulysses would have wanted for you to be happy and proud of his achievements, even if it meant his death in doing so. Lila: Yes, I talk to him every night and that is exactly what I have concluded from our conversations, he’s told me how he wants me to be happy and that I shouldn’t mourn him at all cause he is very much alive. I have decided to build a beautiful memorial at his tomb so he could see that he is always with us now and forever. Javier: What good is it now? He is gone ok? No longer with us, you can’t tell me he is happy knowing that what was of him no longer exists. My aunt’s next-door neighbor, Socrates, had spotted me from the distance and since we haven’t seen each other in quite some time, he comes over to greet us. Socrates: Well, what have we here? Is none other than my good friend Javier! I suppose you have come to pay your condolences since I didn’t see much of you at Ulysses’ funeral. Javier: You are absolutely right my friend, I couldn’t bear to see everyone in pain but I am ok now. Lila: My dear Socrates, care to join us? I have somewhat been intrigued by certain remarks Javier said about Ulysses, let me add that it wasn’t anything that had offended me, but sure was something that caught my attention in a flash. I know that you are a very special friend to this family and I wouldn’t want to have this conversation with anyone else, certainly your wisdom and good judgment are very much appreciated by me. Could you give us the honor of your presence in this family matter? Socrates: I sure am delighted to hear your warm thoughts about me, dear Lila, and yes I will enjoy this gorgeous day by staying here with both of you out in the yard. Javier: Very well then, it will be our pleasure. Let me give you a quick idea of what just happened here: the both of us were talking about my cousin Ulysses and I apparently said something that my aunt obviously didn’t agree with or got offended by the sounds or meaning behind my words. Socrates: Is that a fact? What exactly were your words? Care to elaborate? Javier: Since I am not the one opposing anyone’s view I will give the honors to my aunt, she sure will give you a good insight as to what is in question here. Lila: Do not take it to the heart; I am just wondering why you had told me that it is a lost cause to build a memorial for Ulysses, I certainly do think it’s a good cause for he will be able to see it. Javier: There! That’s where my problem with this issue is; you are telling me that a dead man could see? Lila: I sure am, and not only that, I am also telling you that there is much more to someone’s body than the eye could see. Javier: Ok, now you have gotten my attention, my good friend Socrates seems to be in accordance with your believes, now can any of you tell me what it is exactly that got you to believe such thing? For all I know death signifies the end of it all, it’s comparable to the destruction of a house, if you hammer it down then there won’t be any more of it right? It’s gone like the words in the wind, unless you are trying to say that something in us still lives on, if that was the case then care to tell me what it is and why is it that we can’t continue to see it? Lila: I am not the kind of person that possesses a whole array of words and thoughts to explain those things. I will be more than pleased if Socrates could take over, for I know that he will give you the explanation you are looking for. Socrates: I sure hope to honor your words dear Lila. Javier: You couldn’t find another guy in this city to be as ready as I am to hear your words, my friend. At this moment, lots of things were going through my head; I sincerely thought that I was going to engage in one of those numerous arguments I was so accustomed to win, so I wasn’t really all concentrated in what Socrates had to say, for I thought it was a lost cause. Socrates: Let me start by getting an idea of where you are coming from Javier. Tell me, you think that when one dies there is just no more existence, it’s the end of everything that person was in our lifetime. Also, Lila mentioned that there was something else that your eyes can’t see. Am I right so far? Javier: You sure are, that is exactly how I stand on this issue. Socrates: Have you ever found yourself taking the role of a psychic? Having some sort of feeling that you knew what the outcome of certain event was going to be? Javier: Could you be a little more specific so I could make ends meet? Socrates: Your wish should certainly be granted. I am sure there have been times when you had the sensation that something was about to happen and next thing you know, it did happen! Or that you thought about a loved one living far away and had the feeling that person was going to pay you a visit that same day or the next and wow! It really came true; you had a long-awaited visitor sitting in your own living room. Tell me, has that happened to you? Javier: I will be lying if I say no. Socrates: Could you tell me what causes those feelings and sensations you had at those particular moments? Where do you think they come from? Javier: I’ve never really took the time to think about those questions you are presenting to me Socrates, but if an answer is awaited from me then I would say that it was all due to pure coincidence, I mean, what else could it be? Socrates: That’s what we are going to find out. You see, the example I gave you not only applies to you, but to a great amount of citizens who have gone through that same experience, knowing that, would you say that such coincidence could happen that many times? Don’t you think it would have to be something factual? Suddenly, I find myself digging a hole that perhaps I was going to have serious trouble trying to get out of. Javier: If it is indeed factual, then why can’t I see whatever it is that you are talking about? Are you implying that something is manipulating my mind to see or should I say feel things that will happen in the future? Socrates: No one really can predict what is going to take place in the future, the real outcome of your sensations didn’t happen exactly as you thought it was going to be. The things that took place during the encounter with that long awaited person were not the same; the things he or she said and did were different. Now, if you had experienced the same things both times then that would have been called predicting the future but since that wasn’t the case, we don’t have to deal with that part. Javier: Fair enough, but just exactly what do we have to deal with here? Socrates: No one can really teach you to feel those sensations; there isn’t a class in this world that would train you for that, or some kind of ritual that could be performed for you to have sensations and feelings of that kind. Since our body has five senses that react to things we see, touch, smell, taste and hear, but nothing compared to sensations of any kind, then we could deduce that our body must share space with something so amazing that allows us to see things we can’t see or hear things we can’t hear. Javier: What are you up to Socrates? I feel as though you are putting me in some kind of trance, but needless to say, you sure make sense in what you are saying. I am the kind of person that needs to see in order to believe, but now that I am facing the facts you have put before me I could honestly say that there is in fact something inside us which by the way, sound as if it had life of its own. Socrates: Very well said! You have come a long way my friend, that thing you are referring about is none other than our soul. Javier: You sure are a clever individual, but you still haven’t told me how is it that Ulysses still alive and supposedly talking to aunt Lila. Lila: Just be patient, I am sure Socrates is taking his time in this issue so you could understand perfectly what’s happening. By the way, don’t think I am not interested in your conversation; I am sited here listening to you both, enjoying your wise words. Socrates: Lila just took those words out of my mouth. Javier? Out of the things that are surrounding us, can you pick the ones that actually reach death? Socrates: Ok, now, you just mentioned things that exist because you can detect them with your five senses. Socrates: Are you saying that only that which can be detected with our senses dies? Javier: It sure seems that way Socrates. Socrates: You also acknowledged that we have something in us called the soul. Now, are you implying that the soul must die along with the body? Socrates: Just a second ago we agreed that all that could be seen, smelled, touched, etc. must die. Javier? Can you see your soul or mine or Lila’s? Javier: Not with these eyes! Or any eyes for that matter. Socrates: So, is it safe to say that since we can’t see our soul, it never actually dies? Javier: Not that fast Socrates! You are trying to trick me into something here. If the soul lives in our bodies and the body dies in time, then our soul must meet the same faith. Socrates: Let me remind you we had agreed that our soul is independent from our senses since it makes us see things we can’t see and hear things we can’t hear. You are right in saying that the soul lives in your bodies but in order to make us feel and sense things that would come true later on, then it must be independent from the body itself. Javier: As much as I hate to admit it, you are right about that. Socrates: Moving on, since the soul is an independent identity and can’t be seen, heard, touched or smelled, we can conclude that it must never die, for all that dies is anything our senses detect and that’s not the soul’s case. Javier: You are right on the money! Therefore that must mean my aunt Lila was right in saying that she knows Ulysses will be happy to see a memorial on his tomb, his soul still lives on. Lila: Oh, wow! I can’t believe it. You’ve done such a fine job Socrates Javier: Hold your horses! Socrates did make me believe in what aunt Lila said earlier, but now I have a question of my own. Socrates: If it is in my possibilities to give you an answer then I’ll do it. Javier: It will be appreciated. You see, I was just wondering if our soul can somehow get attached to our body. Does it always have to be an independent part of our being? It’s getting to be almost noon now, aunt Lila decided to go cook lunch for us. She had heard what interested her and no longer decided to be part of our ongoing conversation. Socrates: Have you ever been in a situation where you find yourself talking to a girl about issues that are affecting her and all of a sudden your ears don’t hear no more and it turns into a desire for you to have sex. It’s like you no longer are paying attention to what she is saying but you are noticing her body language and her figure to the point where her problems become a secondary issue and you just want to engage in wild sex with her. Javier: Yes, indeed, that has happened to me countless of times, but, what does that have to do with my question. Socrates: Well, since the soul is free from making contact with our senses, can we say that it is also pure? Think about it, if it can’t touch what is infected, hear what is corrupted, taste what is polluted, smell what is rotten and see what is destructive then we can conclude that it must be pure. Socrates: So, when your body tells you to change your mood with quickness, from caring about her problems to wanting to have sex with her, it could be said that the soul is giving up its independence by suddenly becoming impure. Javier: Wait, does this mean that only in this situation our soul weakens to the desires of the body? Does it only happen when members of the opposite sex engage in a conversation? Socrates: No, not necessarily, it happens when you smoke or drink. Your soul has succumbed to the desires of the body. It doesn’t become dependent permanently though. Javier: Does this happen to everyone in general? Meaning the rich and poor? Do they all experience this process equally? Socrates: Certainly! There are no barriers for the bearer of the soul. Javier: We’ve had quite a good conversation my good friend but somehow there is something up in the air, which I believe you hadn’t resolved or explained neatly. Since we had said that the soul is pure and independent from the body, most of the time that is, all of a sudden I got the idea that criminals do not possess a soul whatsoever, how could someone with a wicked mind be the owner of the epitome of purity. It just doesn’t make sense to me. Socrates: Believe it or not, they do have souls too. Javier: How could that be? Isn’t purity a synonym of goodness? Isn’t that what our soul represents? Socrates: Who told you to be good? Who told you that you should have sexual dreams about women and not men? Who taught you all that courtesy you exhibit throughout your daily life? Javier: I learned to be good and have courtesy in school. You are really not proving any points with your questions. Socrates: Thanks for the vote of confidence, but look, in school you learn what good is and what courtesy is from another man’s point of view. Socrates: A good one I might add, but you are forgetting that they don’t teach you how to be good from deep inside your heart. When you see a homeless person, you know from what you learnt in school that it would be a great help if you could provide that person with either money or food. Now when you see yourself in that situation, what is exactly that makes you reach down your pockets in search of some spare money? What is it that makes you feel a knot in your heart when you see someone less fortunate than yourself? Is that a feeling taught in school? Ever wondered what drives you to act in such a way? We had learned that our soul is natural; nothing can make it or break it, even if it makes us do what is considered bad in our society. In other words, what I am saying to you is that those who posses a wicked mind, had seen or heard before about criminals who had committed horrendous things, they sure knew what it was and how to go about it but the one point to think about is what actually got these man to actually go ahead and do what they had seen or heard about? Javier: I think I know where you are trying to get at. You are basically saying that there is something inside those wicked fellows that made them murderers, something in them gave them the go-ahead-sign and if we go accordingly to what we had agreed, that something is no other than the soul because it makes you feel and sense both good and bad things. Socrates: That is exactly my point Javier. I am sure glad that you had come to an understanding of what our souls are all about. For the first time, I had found a man that had defeated me in an argument. Since that day on, Socrates has gotten my most sincere admiration as well as deep respect for the kind of man he is and makes his peers be. Bibliography:

Word Count: 3159