ow it increases individual understanding, seeking the aid of people with more experience, and working with it just a little more. Just as Plato does not identify a definition of the philosopher, he also does not attempt to clearly depict the specific results of the philosophical life. He provides hints throughout the dialogue, buthe leaves it to the student to formulate an appreciation for the rewards of this type of life. Perhaps he offers an image of how the philosophical life will appear when he says: Every seeker after wisdom knows that up to the time when philosophy takes it over his soul is a helpless prisoner, chained hand and foot in the body, compelled to view reality not directly but only through its prison bars, wallowing in utter ignorance. And philosophy can see that the imprisonment is ingeniously effected by the prisoner's own active desire, which makes him first accessory to his own confinement. Well, philosophy takes over his soul in this condition and by gentle persuasion tries to set it free ... she urges the soul to refrain from using [the senses] unless it is necessary to do so, and encourages it to collect and concentrate itself by itself ... attributing no truth to anything which it views indirectly as being subject to variation, because such objects are sensible and visible but what the soul itself sees is intelligible and invisible. Now the soul of the true philosopher feels that it must not reject this opportunity for release, and so it abstains as far as possible from pleasures and desires and griefs .... The role of philosophy for Pl...
