Phaedo

Plato, 427？ BCE-347？ BCEProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.8

Word count: 206K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Faidoni by PlatoAuthor: Plato, 427? BCE-347? BCE,Language: Finnish, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Sep 8, 2006

Editor's review

This is a Finnish translation of Plato's Phaedo from Project Gutenberg, a free electronic edition of a classical philosophical text. The dialogue unfolds around Socrates' final conversation before his execution, discussing the immortality of the soul, the theory of Forms, and philosophy as the "practice of death"—core themes that make it a key entry point to Plato's middle-period thought. The edition's primary value lies in its language: it offers Finnish readers and scholars studying Finnish philosophical translations a freely accessible text, and facilitates translation research against the Greek original or translations in other languages. Second is the convenience of a public-domain e-book, which can be searched, copied, and cited directly, making it suitable for course readings and close textual study. One caveat: the text is in Finnish and includes no introduction, notes, or glossary, so first-time readers may easily lose their way in the chain of argument. It is best read alongside an English or Chinese translation, or used as supplementary primary-source material in a Western philosophy history course.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Philosophy readers with Finnish reading ability who want direct access to Plato's original text
Scholars and students researching Finnish translations of Plato or translation history
Western philosophy history instructors who need a free public-domain text for course readings
Researchers who wish to compare multiple language translations while closely reading the arguments in Phaedo

Not a good fit for

General readers without Finnish who want to understand the content easily
Philosophy beginners who need detailed notes, introductions, and terminology explanations
Readers who prefer modern paraphrases or popular interpretations of Plato's works

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the flow of the dialogue, then go back and work through the arguments for the immortality of the soul section by section.
Prepare an English or Chinese translation for comparison, and check different renderings when encountering key terms.
Jot down the steps of the argument and any questions as you read, then restate Socrates' core claims in your own words afterward.
Read it in two or three sessions, stopping after each argumentative section to leave time for reflection.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What language is this edition in? Can I read it without knowing Finnish?

The main text of this edition is in Finnish; it is a Finnish translation of Phaedo. Without Finnish you cannot read the content directly; use an English or Chinese translation instead, or treat this only as comparative material for translation research.

What is Phaedo mainly about?

The dialogue takes place on the day of Socrates' execution and centers on arguments for the immortality of the soul, also touching on the theory of Forms and the relationship between philosophy and death. It is an important text for understanding Plato's middle-period thought, and its arguments are quite dense.

Does this electronic edition include notes or an introduction?

According to the available information, this is a public-domain electronic text provided by Project Gutenberg listing only author, language, and classification information; no notes, introduction, or glossary are mentioned. If you need supplementary materials, find an annotated scholarly edition to use alongside it.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Plato, 427？ BCE-347？ BCE Author

Plato (c. 427–347 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher. Reliable details of his life are limited in public sources, and his thought and writings are generally known through later accounts. The library holds 65 of his works, including the multi-volume Republic (Πολιτεία), the Symposium, and the Phaedo. These works are mostly dialogues with Socrates as the central figure, unfolding through question and answer around justice, the governance of the city, love, the soul, and knowledge, combining philosophical inquiry with dramatic literary form. The Republic, which discusses the ideal city and justice, is especially influential. Plato's style is marked by analogy, argument, and open-ended conclusions, and he has had a lasting influence on later Western philosophy and political thought.