The Intelligible Universe and the Immortal Philosopher

In this chapter I focus on Plato’s appropriation of popular myths in order to open up a discussion in regards to the Platonic shift in understanding immortality as escaping Time, as opposed to the heroic-archaic option of further immersing oneself in Time. My argument is that Plato effectively recognized the fact that heroic deeds were still linked to Time and were dependent upon the poets who kept the heroes’ memory alive through tales. Thus, Plato borrows mythic images from Homer and Hesiod and builds the eschatological myths such as The Judgement of Naked Souls from Gorgias, where the retribution-system of the afterlife favors the philosophers the most, thus effectively replacing the original inhabitants of the Isles of the Blessed, the heroes. This displacement of the heroes from the Isles of the Blessed, as well as the relocation of the Isles of the Blessed themselves outside the enclosure of Time serves as a catalyst for discussing the dichotomy between the Time-bound ontology and the Being-centered ontology with their distinct solutions for overcoming death.