50

Logic IV. 58
will at last suddenly perceive a wonderful beauty, eternal, absolute, unmixed. At this point, Aleibiades comes in drunk and recounts instanced of the wonderful self-command of Socrates. Within the next five years three things were written, the dialogue of Phaedo and two portions of the Republic. They show very sensible advances of style one upon another and all of them are very markedly in advance of the Symposium, nonwithstanding the artistic perfection of the work. I think we must allow at least two years more probably three to have elapsed between the Symposium and the Phaedo in order to give time for the great development of thought and the advance in style confirm this. During that interval I dare say other things were written and destroyed. The general object of the Phaedo is to present a new unitary conception of logic and metaphysics. Socrates cannot possibly have entertained such ideas of immortality as we have presented.