Beginning of Essay
The first item of discussion in Socrates' argument is the separation of the body and the soul. Socrates gains full agreement from Simmias and Cebes when he says that death is simply a separation of the body and the soul. He then makes the argument that this part ....

Middle of Essay
.... are all worthless acquisitions because the body becomes worthless after death, reminding us again of the separation of body and soul. Socrates then, has proven to Simmias and Cebes two things. First that the body is inferior to the soul because of its finite age, and secondly that it is harmful to the soul's purpose of gaining the true forms. These two points lead to a third and final point, digressing into the difference between the philosophical life and the life of the commoner: People either spend their lives caring for the body and its immediate needs, or caring for the soul and furthering the success of the distant afterlife. Differ ....