The soul as ἁρμονία in Simmias's objection in Phaedo 85e ff.
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Abstract
The objection that Simmias formulates in Plato’s Phaedo (85e-86d) is directed against the third argument presented by Socrates about the immortality of the soul, namely, the Affinity argument (78b-84b). There Simmias suggests that the soul is a kind of harmony. As the harmony disappears after the destruction of the lyre, then it must be affirmed that the soul disappears after the destruction of the body. Or, one would have to say that the harmony survives the destruction of the lyre, which is absurd. In answer to the objection, Socrates formulates three refutations that are directed specifically against the thesis of the soul as harmony. We propose that ἁρμονία should be understood as tuning in order to understand the meaning of Simmias’ objection and Socrates’ refutations. This thesis of the soul as ἁρμονία was mostly attributed to Pythagoreanism, especially Philolaus. However, this attribution is problematic if ἁρμονία is understood as tuning.
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