Essay Prompt 1: At the beginning of the Phaedo Plato has Socrates explain that t

Essay Prompt 1: At the beginning of the Phaedo Plato has Socrates explain that the philosophical view of death, unlike the common view of death, is one of anticipation. The “true philosopher” has no reason to fear dying. Given this, Cebes asks Socrates whether this means that it is morally permissible to commit suicide. In response, Socrates provides an argument for why it would be wrong to commit suicide. The basis of this argument is that humans are property of the gods. This argument occurs on pp. 53-54 (61c-62e). In your explanation section explain the argument that Socrates makes here, and criticize the argument in your analysis section. Some questions to consider: how does Plato define death? Is it possible for the gods to own human beings and still be morally perfect? When is it morally permissible to destroy the property of another person? Why would gods, or God in a monotheistic context, own anything? Given Plato’s definition of death, does suicide actually cause us to die? Be sure to use headings and citations linked below are the readings