Alive Quote by Plato
“Each living creature is said to be alive and to be the same individual - as for example someone is said to be the same person from when he is a child until he comes to be an old man. And yet, if he's called the same, that's despite the fact that he's never made up from the same things, but is always being renewed, and losing what he had before, whether it's hair, or flesh, or bones, or blood, in fact the whole body.”
About This Quote
Source Dialogue: The Republic, Book VII, c. 380 BC
Identity persists despite physical change; continuity of self is based on the soul, not material components.
In simple terms: Self remains the same despite bodily changes.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the soul’s continuity over physical change.
Themes
identity
philosophy
self
continuity
Mood
contemplative
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- aging
- medical ethics
- psychology
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
metaphysics
personal identity
change
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we define personal identity over a lifetime?
- What aspects of self are essential for continuity?
A Different Perspective
Physical change can challenge legal and moral definitions of personhood.
