The idea of philosophical initiation and purification in Gorgias, Phaedo, Phaedrus and Symphosium of Plato

Kazimierz Pawłowski

doi:10.21697/2016.52.1.04

Published: 2018-02-13

Vol. 52 No. 1 (2016)

The idea of philosophical initiation and purification in Gorgias, Phaedo, Phaedrus and Symphosium of Plato

Kazimierz Pawłowski

Studia Philosophiae Christianae

Section: Papers

https://doi.org/10.21697/2016.52.1.04

Abstract

The paper explores Plato’s idea of philosophical initiation and purification in Gorgias (in the context of people’s moral condition and ethical ideals they believe), and in some other dialogues of Plato (Phaedo, Phaedrus, and Symposium), in which Socrates refers to acts of initiation and purification, probably ones similar to the initiation into Greek mysteries. The essence and culmination of such initiation was marked by spiritual experience of the divinity of human soul. Similar subject matter may be found in some Socratic dialogues.

Keywords:

Plato, initiations, philosophical initiation, philosophical purifications, "Gorgias", "Phaedo", "Phaedrus", "Symphosium", mysteries, Eleusinian mysteries, Orphic mysteries

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Pawłowski, K. (2018). The idea of philosophical initiation and purification in Gorgias, Phaedo, Phaedrus and Symphosium of Plato. Studia Philosophiae Christianae, 52(1), 77–97. https://doi.org/10.21697/2016.52.1.04

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