---
id: socrates
recordStatus: draft
liveStatus: new
type: person
title: Socrates
titleEn: Socrates
titleRu: Сократ
nameAlternatives: []
description: "Ancient Greek philosopher of Athens (469–399 BC), quoted in A Confession (1879–82) from Plato's Phaedo."
birthDate: "-0469"
birthDateOldStyle: ""
birthDateApproximate: true
deathDate: "-0399"
deathDateOldStyle: ""
deathDateApproximate: false
birthPlace: ""
deathPlace: ""
nationality: Greek
roles:
  - author read by Tolstoy
occupation:
  - philosopher
relationToTolstoy: ""
relationshipDescription: "A philosopher Tolstoy quotes in A Confession, through Plato's Phaedo."
periodOfContact:
  from: ""
  to: ""
  notes: ""
synopsis: ""
relatedWorks:
  -
    id: confession
    role: quoted author
relatedArticles:
  - leo-tolstoy
  - arthur-schopenhauer
  - solomon
  - buddha
themes:
  - philosophy and the question of life
identifiers:
  wikidata: Q913
  viaf: ""
  lccn: ""
  bnf: ""
fieldSources:
  birthDate:
    -
      sourceId: tolstoydigital-tei
      volume: ""
      page: ""
      notes: "personList.xml, person 12955: 469–399 BC."
  deathDate:
    -
      sourceId: tolstoydigital-tei
      volume: ""
      page: ""
      notes: "personList.xml, person 12955."
---

Socrates (<span lang="ru">Сократ</span>; 469–399 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of Athens.[^1]

## In A Confession

Socrates is the first of the four whose answer to the question of life [[A Confession]] (<span lang="ru">Исповедь</span>, 1879–82) gives as one and the same: Socrates, [[Arthur Schopenhauer]], [[Solomon]] and the [[Buddha]] (VI.10).[^2]

- **VI.11–12.** "We approach truth only inasmuch as we depart from life," said Socrates when preparing for death. The passage goes on to the wise man who "seeks death all his life and therefore death is not terrible to him."[^3] The PSS commentary identifies it as a free, shortened translation of two extracts from chapters XI and XII of Plato's *Phaedo*, which gives Socrates' last conversations with his pupils. Tolstoy knew Greek and may have read the dialogue in the original.[^4]
- **VI.22.** The four answers are then given again in short. For Socrates: "The life of the body is an evil and a lie. Therefore the destruction of the life of the body is a blessing, and we should desire it."[^5]

In a list he made in 1891 of the books that had impressed him, Tolstoy put the *Phaedo* among those that made a "very great" impression between the ages of 20 and 35.[^6]

## Open questions

- Whether Tolstoy took the *Phaedo* passages from the Greek or from a translation is not settled by the commentary ("possibly").

## Dive provenance

- [1879-1882-a-confession](../works/non-fiction/personal-papers/1879-1882-a-confession/index.md) — the text of A Confession (PSS 23:1–59) and its commentary (PSS 23:515–537); Johan's reader notes of 10 October 2026 asked for this page.

[^1]: <span lang="ru">«Древнегреческий философ из Афинского полиса»</span> (Tolstoy Digital, `personList.xml`, person 12955: 469–399 BC).

[^2]: <span lang="ru">«ответ, данный Сократом, Шопенгауэром, Соломоном, Буддой»</span> (PSS 23:22, ch. VI). English: Maude.

[^3]: <span lang="ru">«Мы приблизимся к истине только настолько, насколько мы удалимся от жизни, — говорит Сократ, готовясь к смерти»</span>; <span lang="ru">«Мудрец всю жизнь ищет смерть, и потому смерть не страшна ему»</span> (PSS 23:22–23, ch. VI). English: Maude.

[^4]: <span lang="ru">«Отрывок представляет свободный и сокращенный перевод двух выдержек из гл. XI и XII диалога Платона „Федон“, передающего предсмертные беседы Сократа с учениками. Возможно, что Толстой, зная греческий язык, читал „Федона“ в оригинале»</span> (PSS 23:533, commentary, note 24). English: ours.

[^5]: <span lang="ru">«Жизнь тела есть зло и ложь. И потому уничтожение этой жизни тела есть благо, и мы должны желать его», говорит Сократ</span> (PSS 23:26, ch. VI). English: Maude.

[^6]: <span lang="ru">«По списку, составленному Толстым в 1891 г., „Федон“ произвел на него „очень большое“ впечатление в возрасте от 20 до 35 лет (письмо к М. М. Ледерле от 25 октября 1891 г., т. 66, стр. 68)»</span> (PSS 23:533, commentary, note 24). English: ours.