Socrates and Descartes in a Jar

In the instance of Socrates and Descartes brains being held in separate jars but in the same room, the conversation would be an exceptional one. Most ideas between these two philosophers differ dramatically, though there are prime instances where they are in deep agreement with one another. In the case of their brains being held captive with no way to get around, it seems the two would certainly perceive the situation similarly.

Socrates beliefs are thoroughly described in the story of his suicide in Phaedo, the dialogue written by Plato. Socrates finds parallels between the truth and the soul, coming up with the concept that to understand all truths in the world one must completely understand the mind; because it is only through the soul that truth can be learned and found.

Socrates believed the soul was considered immortal, because the body can die but the soul cannot. Therefore, it is a separate entity from the body. His belief the soul existed before he was even born and held all the knowledge before it found a body on earth is part of the Argument from Affinity. This argument suggests that material things are different from things that can die, such as the soul. He felt that to recollect all of this knowledge, one had to live through each day and begin to remember it themselves. Socrates suggests that if the soul were living long before his existence, it would continue to do so long after the body dies as well. This may indicate Socrates would be disappointed with his brain being contained in a jar. He would have no freedom to move around and experience life, which was his idea of learning.

In the book of Phaedo, the concept of learning stems from recollection. Once a person is born, they already have all the knowledge of a lifetime inside of them, it is up to them to travel and exist and live every day to then recollect what they have already learned. The longer a person lives, the more they will be able to learn as they continue on their journey through life. This idea certainly re-enforces the thought that Socrates would dislike being in a jar. If the brain were in a jar he would no longer be able to continue on his path of learning.

It seemed that he was quite obsessed with the fact that he would live on long after his body died. As Cebes re-enforces this idea when he asked about Socrates “Would you not say that he is entirely concerned with the soul and not with the body? He would like, as far as he can, to be quit of the body and turn to the soul” (1).

This theory suggests if the soul can be considered immortal, then the body can be discarded, and the soul will continue to live on. However, what Socrates may have overlooked is that the soul needs the body to move around and travel in order to be able to recollect, then again he never would have thought his brain could be in a jar someday.

Socrates also believed the actions that took place in the lifetime of the soul and body being together, had repercussions. This suggests Socrates would never want to falter, as he would have to pay the consequence, though it’s a bit contradictory because he committed suicide.

In the other jar would like Descartes brain. Descartes would hate having his brain in a jar perhaps more than Socrates would. His belief in the distinction between the soul and body are much stronger than Socrates argument. Descartes thoroughly believes in his existence and argues that there is no way he can doubt his existence simply because having a thought process proves that he is alive. This can be seen when he states “we are nevertheless absolutely necessitated to admit the reality at least of some other objects still more simple and universal than these, of which, just as of certain real colors, all those images of things, whether true and real, or false and fantastic, that are found in our consciousness (cogitatio),are formed” (1).

He is extremely in touch with his mind rather than his body and he knows the body is a perishable aspect of the human being. He is also very focused on his relationship with God. Descartes believes that God is the all-knowing being and would not allow humans to exist without knowing what their fates would be. Considering Descartes already believes he has a fate, this would give him no reason to feel as though he didn’t exist.

An enormous difference between the two is where knowledge comes from. Socrates may be a bit less upset about having his brain in a jar, and for good reason. He already believes there is knowledge in the brain, therefore he could also believe there must be a way to seek it out without having to experience life. He would probably begin to believe in the concept of teaching himself from what he observed around him and the knowledge he believed was lying dormant would eventually come out.

Descartes on the other hand is more inclined to get out of the jar. He believed that to learn, he needed to wipe the slate clean of everything he thought he knew and start at the beginning. He felt that he needed to be learning everything he could in every situation and pulling knowledge from every new experience; while still being completely aware the mind and body may be two separate entities; Descartes understands one needs the other. The body must do the traveling to learn.

Some questions that may arise would certainly be a back and forth between Socrates asking Descartes why he couldn’t just take the knowledge he already had and learn from it. Though Socrates beliefs fall along the same line as Descartes, because he thinks the memory needs jogging to allow the brain to learn, he seems a bit more relaxed about trying new concepts. Descartes is intent on wiping the slate clean and learning from new experiences. Socrates seems to be focused on the past and what knowledge can be brought up from the soul having existed before his body did.

Descartes would perhaps ask Socrates about his suicide. If Socrates believed what was done in this lifetime would reverberate in the next, why would he commit a sin such as killing himself? Wouldn’t he be damned if he did that?

The current situation would certainly not be ideal for either philosopher, as they both believe in one way or another that traveling, and life experience brings about the most knowledge. Although each philosopher believes that the soul and mind are two separate entities, they both seem to agree without knowing it that to learn, the body and soul need to work together. Though with such brilliant minds it is quite possible that they would educate and stimulate one another enough to satisfy both their thirsts for knowledge.

Works Cited

Dennett, Daniel. Freedom Evolves. NY: Penguin Books ltd, 2004.

Descartes, Rene. Meditations on First Philosophy. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company,1993.

"Meditations on First Philosophy." http://www.classicallibrary.org/descartes/meditations/4.htm. N.p., n.d.

"Phaedo (360 B.C.)." http://www.classicallibrary.org/plato/dialogues/14_phaedo.htm. N.p., n.d.