Plato’s Remythologizing of the Afterlife: Souls’ Voyage and Consciousness in the Myth of Er
APEIRON: a journal for ancient philosophy and science April 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1515/apeiron-2024-0037 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Plato's myth of Er reinterprets the Homeric afterlife to emphasize the soul's consciousness and continuity between embodied and disembodied states, positioning the afterlife as a moral test and integrating the myth into the Republic's psychological and ethical framework. |
Abstract
Abstract This essay examines how Plato’s myth of Er responds to the Homeric vision of the afterlife with a focus on the concept of the soul’s consciousness. Engaging with Socrates’ critique of traditional poetry in Books 3 and 10, it offers a philosophical interpretation of Er’s account, highlighting the continuity of the soul between its embodied and disembodied states. In this framework, embodied life is the stage in which the soul can either improve or deteriorate, while the afterlife – empowering the soul to choose its future life – serves as the ultimate test of its virtue. Not simply a concession to popular beliefs, the myth of Er is re-integrated into the psychological and moral discourse of the Republic.