What happens after we die? What if our actions in life truly determined our fate in the afterlife?
In The Republic, Plato’s myth of Er explores these questions. This tale, recounted by Socrates, describes a soldier’s journey through the afterlife and back. It offers a fascinating glimpse into ancient Greek beliefs about justice, reincarnation, and the soul.
Continue reading to learn the myth of Er and see how this ancient story still resonates with modern readers.
Plato’s Myth of Er
Plato’s myth of Er appears in Book X of The Republic. In the conclusion of this classic work of philosophy, Socrates explains that, regardless of how fortunate or unfortunate someone is in life, justness is rewarded after death. He illustrates this principle with a myth about a man named Er.
(Shortform note: Plato’s dialogue Meno elaborates on his theory of life after death. In Meno, Plato describes life after death somewhat like reincarnation, where a soul exits and reenters various bodies as they die and are born. While a majority of memories are lost during this transfer, some essential knowledge remains. Importantly, the ancient Greek understanding of the soul is different from our modern definition—to them, “soul” is closer to our idea of “mind” or “consciousness.”)
According to Socrates, Er was a man who died in battle only to return to life 12 days later. He explained that, while dead, his soul and many others were judged for their actions. The just were rewarded for their deeds in life while the unjust were punished. Then, the souls chose new bodies to inhabit for their next lives—human or animal.
Wise, good souls knew which lives would be good and chose accordingly. Some of the unjust learned from their mistakes and chose better lives, while others refused to admit they were at fault and chose lives just as bad as their previous ones. On their way back to earth to live their new lives, they drank water of forgetfulness and lost all memory of their ordeal—save for Er, who was told to return to his body and tell everyone what he’d seen to encourage them to live better lives.
(Shortform note: Some scholars argue that the myth of Er is something of a “noble lie” itself. They suggest that, while the philosophy of The Republic argues for the value of justice in detail, the myth of Er offers the same moral truth in a much simpler-to-understand way. Therefore, it can still be morally true even if it isn’t literally true. Plato’s other dialogue Phaedo says this more explicitly. In it, Socrates describes a version of the afterlife similar to the myth of Er and then suggests the precise details don’t really matter—what matters is that they believe it’s true. This will encourage them to improve themselves and live good, just lives.)
