58

Logic IV 66
pure and also because they see the disadvantages to the sould of subservery to the body. But both Simmias and Cebes object. Simmias asks why not say the same thing about a lyre and its harmony that has been said about a man and his soul? Cebes says that doubtless the soul endures longer that they body but in point of fact during life it wears out and remakes many bodies and when it perishes the last one naturally remains. Socrates here describes the character of a man he calls him a misologne [foreign text] who has lost all faith in argumentation of a metaphysical hue? He admints that he feels that if his views are right he does well to be convinced and if he is about to be annihilated still it will be better to keep up the delusion. But Socrates replies that the sould is not a harmony since harmony is a compound and futher the soul existed before birth but the harmony of alyre does not exist before the lyre. it is also noticed that the essence of the soul implies existence. Moreover harmony does