Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Philosophy Theses Department of Philosophy 5-18-2009 The Role of Afterlife Myths in Plato's Moral Arguments Daniel William Issler Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/philosophy_theses Part of the Philosophy Commons Recommended Citation Issler, Daniel William, "The Role of Afterlife Myths in Plato's Moral Arguments." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2009. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/philosophy_theses/56 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Philosophy at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Philosophy Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. THE ROLE OF AFTERLIFE MYTHS IN PLATO’S MORAL ARGUMENTS by DANIEL ISSLER Under the Direction of Tim O’Keefe ABSTRACT I will address the issue of Plato’s use of myths concerning the afterlife in the context of the ethical arguments of the Gorgias , Phaedo and Republic , and I will contend that while the arguments in each dialogue are aimed at convincing the rational part of the self, the myths are aimed at persuading the non-rational part of the self. In support of this interpretation, I will examine Plato’s views on the relation between the different parts of the soul and the relationship that poetry and myth have to philosophy. I will argue that Plato’s use of myth is a legitimate tactic in his project of moral education, given his views concerning the role that the non-rational parts of the self play in one’s moral life.