In his book “The Republic”, Plato discusses
what appears to be an account of transmigration
of soul.
While it is unclear whether it is meant as
an actual event that Plato deemed to be real,
or a myth Plato uses to emphasize a point,
owing to “The Republic” being one of the
best works in Western philosophy that combines
morality, psychology, society and politics,
along with metaphysics, Plato’s view of
reincarnation of humans marks a big departure
from views of eternal or finite heaven, or
hell that exist in other myths of the West.
In the scene, Plato describes men and beasts
alike being allowed to choose what they want
to be in the next life, or more precisely,
the conditions in which they want to be born
and attributes they wish to possess.
Plato wishes to good men that they stand unperturbed
in the face of extreme passions and wanton
desires and remain committed to what is right
and true.
Having chosen against virtue, Plato says,
the ones overcome by passion, greed and lust
will lament over their choice but to no avail.
The steadfast faithfulness to virtue, Plato
hints is only possible through knowledge and
the knowledge is possible only through sound
contemplation.
Those in hurry to choose, surely are in great
danger of making grave error for having chosen
what is good only to those in delusion.
People choose, Plato says, for the next life
based on what they experienced in previous
life.
Orpheus, perhaps the character dazzled by
beauty of a woman and losing her, who lost
his life by his own choice when all attempts
to gain her back failed, chooses to ditch
any relationship with women, became a swan,
while Agamemnon, one of the heroes of the
Trojan War, who witnessed a life that saw
betrayal, murder and immoral love, forgoes
humanity all together and becomes an eagle,
still keeping his kingly authority, though
giving up the human form.
Plato amusingly laments the life of such people,
who while great in their own right get consumed
by the illusion of the world, choose what
is not desirable for one who is free of passion
for what does not bring true happiness.
The souls having betrayed their own fate are
sealed to the new irreversible destiny by
necessity and consumed by both forgetfulness
and unmindfulness, some more than other, fall
into the world to be part of the cosmic drama
again.
Yet in Plato’s work, the finality is not
reached.
If one holds steadfast to virtue and truth
and right, in spite of being lured by whatever
the material world has to offer, what is the
use of the material world?
Of course, Plato’s view of forms might have
an answer to this conundrum but in this case,
the section of “The Republic” ends and
we are just left with the advice.
