Unlike some of his ancient contemporaries, Socrates is fairly candid and unapologetic about his beliefs about death. Socrates, in Apology, utters the sentence “…those of us who believe death to be an evil are certainly mistaken”, shortly after being handed a death sentence by the the court (40c). He shows no fear, and is willing to die to preserve his philosophical beliefs. For Socrates, death is not something to be feared or hated. As a matter of fact, Socrates sees begging for mercy as a fate worse than death. He views the concept of asking for a lighter sentence in order to live as compromising his core values. Socrates would very much die on his feet, than live on his knees. He maintains that while avoiding death is easy, he believes it to be the way one corrupts their soul; having a sense of self preservation at the cost of ones values makes man a selfish and wicked creature. Socrates believes that it is best to avoid such wickedness at all costs, even though it may result in death.
However, Socrates stands firm in the face of death, believing it to only be a positive event; either a long and dreamless sleep, devoid of any perception of the world around him or a transferral of mind and soul to a higher plane of existence. In this short, yet powerful statement, we see a side of Socrates empty of fear and full of contempt for death. Socrates shows a deep understanding and acceptance of the subject matter. He firmly believes that death is really just a blessing. In both scenarios, death is in a positive light.
In the first scenario, where death is an existence lacking any conscious perception and is full of nothing, Socrates sees it as a great advantage. He views it in a way where death is like a dreamless sleep. The body and mind has no control or cognitive perception of the surrounding world, and Socrates believes that to be a positive, as it allows a certain ignorance. If one is unaware of and unable to perceive the world around them, then can anything harm them? Socrates believes that since the body and mind might be reduced to nothing at death, then the dead have no problems, as they can not perceive problems and injustices done to them. To sleep soundly in death, Socrates says that “… all eternity would then seem to be no more than a single night” (Apology 40e). Death transforms into a gift of freedom and relief, rather than the cruel taker of life.
Dreamless nights, in a way, provides a sort of comfort to some people. The mind is given a chance to rest, and time seems to move at an accelerated rate. It is a sort of relief from the basic toils of everyday life; it allows, for once, nothing to happen inside one’s head. The absence of thoughts and reflection is often something taken for granted. Many lament the burdens of overthinking, but few praise the absences of such pressures. Socrates believes that this, if it is what happens after death, is a greater advantage than living disgraced in exile. In death, Socrates becomes a martyr for his cause; he becomes more myth than man as the stories of his teachings spread from person to person. It is a similar idea to how suicide bombers operate; the body is temporary, but the ideas and message behind the action is what lasts forever. History very rarely remembers the men who did peacefully in exile. The reputation of a man who dies for a cause is more likely to be viewed in a positive light, rather than the reputation of the man who chooses to compromise his values and his cause to live.
In the second scenario, Socrates views death as a simple transfer of mind and soul to a plane of existence, where everyone who has died before him is there interacting with each other in an after life. Socrates sees this as being a great opportunity to convert with and examine those who came before him. That way, he has a chance to figure out of all the gods, demigods, and men, who is the wisest. To Socrates, death is an educational experience; the positive side of death is the possibility that any and all questions could be answered simply by conversing with the gods in this new plane of existence. Therefore, Socrates is interested in finding out what happens after death. In death, Socrates has the chance to examine great men like Homer and Orpheus and analyze their ideals and rationalities. Socrates can question demigods and interview men who also been wrongly put to death. Socrates’ thirst for knowledge is so great, that he would give up life for a chance to find out all answers to life’s questions.
In this scenario, Socrates gives up self-preservation for the pursuit of knowledge. He believes that there is nothing more nobler, more righteous, than learning, even if it means losing one’s life. Socrates’ teachings revolve around the theme of self-knowledge, and believes that being wise involves a certain humility and awareness of what one is ignorant of. Ignorance stems from an inability to explain something through a dialogue. Therefore, by attaining an extensive knowledge from the gods, Socrates could not be ignorant anymore, and become wiser in death than any human in life. It makes sense for Socrates to want to rather die and gain knowledge about everything, than live in ignorance for the rest of his life. For him to be truly happy, he has to gain knowledge, and for him to gain knowledge, he has to die. That is why Socrates does not fear death. He sees it as the next logical progression in his quest to attain all worldly knowledge; to die means that he becomes enlightened.
I agree with Socrates in that death is not a thing that should be feared. I believe that death is a natural thing that occurs, and to fear the end is foolish. The eventuality of death is a constant reminder of the impermanence of the world. Everything must come to an end at some point. I know that when its my time to die, I will not try to avoid it. Death is not inherently evil or bad. Sure, some people think that it is because when you die you cease to be the person you were in life. I understand why some might find it scary, however how can death be bad when no one knows exactly what happens after death? It is unfair to assume that one of the most normal and natural processes is inherently bad when we do not know why it would be considered bad in the first place. I think that people fear death because they cannot comprehend that all their actions and accomplishments are ultimately meaningless in the long run. The average person, when they die, will become forgotten relic of the past; a fading memory trapped in a painting or photograph whose story has been lost to time.
The world does not care whether you live or die. The world is a very dark and unforgiving place, always changing and gradually erasing the banalities of the past, whether they be people, places, stories, or artifact. In four billion years or so, the sun will consume the Earth and any last remaining aspects of human culture on earth will be purged from the universe in a fiery fashion. The places where people lived and died will be gone forever, ultimately being forgotten in time. In the long run, nothing truly matters. Everything that you have ever touched or created can disappear in an instant. It is important to remember that nothing is permanent, but some people have trouble remembering that. People cannot come to terms with the fragility of human life and the utter meaninglessness of it. Humans are innately selfish creatures; they believe that the world is meant for them to leave their mark on. Yet, when confronted with the fact that their lives and work ultimately means nothing, they fall deeper and deeper into ignorance, and choose to avoid as best they can these hard truths of life. A fear of death is the most ignorant, yet human quality a human could possibly have.
Ultimately, Socrates unapologetically views death in a positive light. He sees it as a certain type of freedom from material bonds. In death, no harm can befall you because your mind and soul is separated from it, unaware of the physical world around. Socrates does not fear death. Instead, he sees it as a possible opportunity to gain wisdom and elevate himself on to a higher plane of existence. Like Socrates, I understand and acknowledge the eventuality of death, and will accept it when my time comes. I do not fear death much like how I do not fear nature; in the grand scheme of things, death is the most normal and natural process to occur. People fear death because they cannot understand and refuse to accept that their lives are ultimately futile. In Apology, Socrates realized that death can only elevate his stature, and allow for his ideas to spread. By giving up his fear of death, Socrates became one of the wisest humans on Earth.