The majority of philosophers and religious traditions believe that the soul, the non-material aspect of existence, exists beyond material reality. Philosophers such as Socrates, St. Irenaeus and Homer have written extensively concerning the spiritual. The debate continues over whether the idea of the soul is true. Many, however, believe that the soul is real.
Socrates
Nalin Ranasinghe has a great affection for Socrates. Soul of Socrates is a investigation of four of Plato's most well-known dialogues. The author traces the attempts of Plato to capture Socrates' erotic presence in these dialogues. Most commentators assume that Plato is occult attempting to create an ironic separation from Socrates, but Ranasinghe believes that Plato did not intend to communicate the erotic character of Socrates in his dialogues.
Socrates believes that certain mental states are a function of the soul while others fall under the control that the human body. This concept of the soul is more narrow than our own and, according to Socrates that the soul does not have responsibility for all activities of the mind, only a portion of the ones it is responsible for. Socrates adds a variety of state of mind as a result of the body.
Socrates declared that the perfect soul is one who feels fulfilled and satisfied. There are people who feel happier than others, yet they might choose to follow the least resistant path. It's this journey of self-awareness and cleansing that Socrates
