After first reading the article I would have to say that I found some of the views quite different from my personal views on life and death. Socrates views death as, from my understandings, a good thing. Although he does not agree with the notion of suicide. One of the arguments brought up was, if death is what you strive for then shouldn't suicide be a good thing? To counter this argument he brings up the notion of a relationship between a farmer and their cattle, to yourself and god. Ultimately you are God's possession, so ending your life prior to when god intends is destroying gods possession. I don't share the view points as being someones possession, however, I do not think that suicide should be glorified. I do not believe that death should be better than life, unlike Socrates philosophical view.
Another philosophical view that Socrates has regarding death is that one spends their whole entire life to ultimately detach from their body. So when you die you reach this goal of separation. Something that I thought quite strange was how Socrates viewed living as essentially a burden. How one despises all of the things that have to do with the body and to only focus on the soul. I personally do not agree with this. I believe that feeding our body nutrients isn't a negative thing. Socrates focuses on how death is better than living, but in my own views I believe that we should live, or at least try to live every day to its fullest. That we should focus on the present and not on the glorification of our soul, wherever that may lead us after death.
At least for me, I do not know what the future holds. Socrates seems to know that when he leaves this life he will have a new one with just as good company. For me, I don't agree with this because I have no idea what will come after I am dead, and frankly I don't think I will ever have an answer until that time in fact comes. Overall I would say I do not agree with Socrates philosophical view on death, on how you're really only living four you souls detachment from your body. I do not believe in rejecting experiences, nor do I agree with Socrates views on how we should focus on our mind/thoughts apart from pleasures. I think that we should focus on the present because who really knows whats to come.
-Lauryn
I really liked how you explained your views. You also gave a really good explanation of the article. I agree with you that we are not possessions. However I don’t think life or the afterlife is better than the other. I like to believe we all go to heaven and are reunited with our loved ones after we die. I don’t think we can judge which is better, but I like to think they have good things about each of them. I don’t agree that living is a bad thing I agree with you on that it’s a good thing and shouldn’t be viewed negatively.
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