Unravel the mysteries of the soul with the eternal voices of Socrates and Plato!
Our new article delves into the roots of Western philosophy, connecting its teachings to the light of Spiritism and the morality of Christ.
Explore Ancient Greece, the meaning of “Know Thyself,” and how the search for truth echoes through the centuries, preparing humanity for the revelations of the Spirit.
A journey that will make you reflect on immortality and the purpose of life.
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The Voices of Eternity: Socrates, Plato, and the Gospel of the Spirit
The Spiritist Doctrine, in its mission to reestablish the truth and light of Jesus’ teachings, recognizes in human history the precursors who, under divine inspiration, prepared the ground for the Third Revelation. Prominent among these luminaries are Socrates and Plato, whose philosophies, which emerged in Ancient Greece, echo fundamental truths about the soul and eternal life.
This article proposes a journey back to the sources of Western philosophy, briefly comparing it with the emerging message of Christ, and contextualizing the importance of these teachings in light of Spiritism.
Summary
- Socrates, the Unforgettable Master, and Plato, the Guardian Disciple
- 1.1 The Incarnate Soul and Knowledge
- 1.2 Care for the Soul and Immortality
- Historical Contextualization: Ancient Greece and the Birth of Philosophy
- 2.1 Social Organization and Allegories for Understanding
- Paganism versus the Doctrine of Christ: The Clash of Paradigms
- 3.1 Definition of Paganism and Outer Worship
- 3.2 The Doctrine of Christ: Morality and Individuality
- The Spiritist Vision: The Convergence of Eternal Truths
1. Socrates, the Unforgettable Master, and Plato, the Guardian Disciple
Socrates (c. 469–399 BC) is a unique figure. He left no written record of his philosophy. Everything we know about his profound teachings and his life, culminating in his condemnation to death, comes to us primarily through the dialogues of his most notable disciple: Plato (c. 428/427–348/347 BC). Plato, the guardian and systematizer of Socratic wisdom, transformed his master’s legacy into a doctrine that would influence all of Western thought.
1.1 The Incarnate Soul and Knowledge
The basis of the Socratic-Platonic doctrine resonates deeply with the Spiritist Doctrine: Man is an incarnate soul.
According to Plato, the soul (Spirit) preexisted in an ideal world, along with the primordial ideas of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Upon incarnation, it separates itself from these ideas and immerses itself in matter, temporarily obscuring the memory of its spiritual past. The quest for knowledge (Socratic aphorism: “Know thyself”) is, in fact, an effort of reminiscence—of recalling the innate truths the soul already possessed before its descent into the physical body.
- Spiritist View: The Doctrine of Spirits corroborates this idea (the pre-existence of the soul), stating that the Spirit is created simple and ignorant, but with abilities to develop. The process of incarnation, through countless existences, is God’s tool for moral and intellectual evolution, with matter being a field of testing and learning (reincarnation). The soul, by its nature, aspires to perfection and union with the Creator.
1.2 Care for the Soul and Immortality
Socrates and Plato emphasized the need to dedicate more time to the soul, to eternity, than to the present life, considered a mere instant. The immortality of the soul and the consequent survival of the spirit after the death of the body were central convictions.
- Maxims with Spiritism: Maxims such as “It is by its fruits that one knows the tree” and the idea that the wise man must somehow “isolate the soul from the body” to see with the eyes of the spirit are notable anticipations of evangelical morality and Spiritist principles. The true philosopher prepared for death not as an end, but as a passage and a reunion.
2. Historical Contextualization: Ancient Greece and the Birth of Philosophy
Socrates and Plato lived during a period of great turmoil in Athens, the birthplace of democracy.
- Political and Social Context: Greek society, organized into city-states (polis), was marked by intense civic life. Public debate and rhetoric were valued, and the social division included citizens (free men), metics (foreigners), and slaves. Philosophy emerged, in part, as a critique of the political instability and purely material values of the time. Socrates, with his search for truth and virtue, challenged the relativism of the Sophists and was seen as subversive, which, in a tense political context, led to his condemnation.
2.1 Social Organization and Allegories for Understanding
Before the consolidation of philosophy and the great monotheistic religions, humanity was organized into clans, families, and tribes, linked by kinship and worship of local gods and spirits. Ancient Greece had already evolved from this tribal structure to the polis, but the tradition of worship of the Olympian gods (polytheism) persisted.
To facilitate the communication of profound truths in a society with different levels of education, the use of allegories was crucial.
- Plato’s Allegory of the Cave: Plato’s most famous allegory (found in The Republic) describes the soul’s journey from the world of shadows (ignorance, material life) to the light (knowledge, spiritual truth). This narrative is not only pedagogical, but also contextualizing, through accessible imagery, demonstrating the effort required for moral improvement and intellectual elevation, rescuing the soul from material imprisonment.
3. Paganism versus the Doctrine of Christ: The Clash of Paradigms
To understand the impact of Greco-Roman philosophy and Christianity, one must compare them with the surrounding Paganism.
3.1 Definition of Paganism and Outer Worship
The term Paganism is, historically, a pejorative generalization used by Christianity to designate polytheistic religions and traditional cults, notably Greco-Roman ones.
- Characteristics: Paganism was fundamentally a set of external practices and cults, strongly linked to material prosperity, success in war, fertility, and the fate of the city. Offerings and sacrifices to the gods often had the character of exchange (do ut des – I give so that you may give).
- Economic/Social Context: In the economic and social context, paganism supported the power structure, with the emperor often assuming a divine role, reinforcing the temporal order and class divisions.
3.2 The Doctrine of Christ: Morality and Individuality
In contrast, the Doctrine of Christ – which deepened and completed the moral precepts already brought by Socrates and Plato – promoted a revolution by focusing on morality and interiority.
- The Inner Kingdom: Christ moves religion from the outer temple to the inner realm of consciousness. The relationship with God becomes intimate, individual, and based on Love (for God and for others).
- Virtue and Merit: Salvation does not come from rituals or external sacrifices, but from virtue and works, the fruit of individual moral effort. As Socrates said, “The most beautiful prayers and the most beautiful sacrifices please the Divinity less than a virtuous soul that strives to resemble it.” This morality, purified by Jesus, was incompatible with the materialistic focus of paganism.
4. The Spiritist Vision: The Convergence of Eternal Truths
Spiritism, codified by Allan Kardec, sees Socrates and Plato not only as philosophers, but as inspired messengers who, at the dawn of Western civilization, brought essential truths about the Spirit.
The Gospel According to Spiritism dedicates an item (Introduction, IV) to summarizing the doctrine of Socrates and Plato, demonstrating the deep affinity between ancient thought and the Third Revelation.
- Continuity of the Message: Socrates, alongside Christ, is one of the greatest models of morality and love of truth. His ideas about the immortality of the soul, preexistence, the pursuit of goodness, and the superiority of the Spirit over matter are pillars that support the Spiritist edifice. The Socratic dialectical method (maieutics), of question and answer, echoes Kardec’s method of interrogating Spirits.
In short, the Spiritist Doctrine recognizes that truth is one and eternal, manifesting itself progressively. Socrates and Plato were the voices of a Philosophical Revelation that, together with the Mosaic Revelation (the Law) and the Christian Revelation (Morals), prepared the human Spirit for a full understanding of life, immortality, and divine laws, which Spiritism came to confirm and explain.
